When A Picture Isn't Worth A Thousand Words
by Dimensional Traveller
Summary: When 23 year old Kat goes to take pictures of a village for a historical foundation she gets more than she bargained for when the black jackets of the village, especially one with a limp, just won't let her go.
1. When a photo isnt worth a 1000 words

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Inkheart, or any of it's characters, Cornelia Funke does. I won Kat, her mother, the man and woman in the hotel lobby, and the manager of the hotel. I came up with the name Southern Italy Making History Foundation, somewhere out there it might be real, though I doubt it. :) but just in case if its real I dont own it, if its not real I do own it.**_

_**A/N: I haven't given up on the Inkspell Story Im writing, I have a huge writer's block on that one. I got this idea so for right now Im working on this one, but the other one will be updated I promise!! This story takes place in middle of Basta's Pride and Joy when Mo, Meggie, and Eleanor are in the village. Hope you all like.**_

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Twenty three year old Katherine 'Kat' Levingston parked her small green car on top of the hill, sighing she pushed her raven black hair into a pony tail as her emerald green eyes scanned the village below. She unbuckled her seat belt and turned around, she grabbed her camera case that held her camera, four extra batteries, and a memory stick holder in it from the back seat. She slung it over her shoulder then grabbed her 'photographer purse,' as she called it, and it put it around her neck and left shoulder. The purse had a small first aid kit in it; a sandwich with a lunch box cooler in a plastic bag; two small bottles of water; a small bottle of advil; some tums; extra hair bands; two bandanas and an extra battery and one more memory stick for her camera.

"Okay, I think that does it," she muttered to herself, her mother was the president of Southern Italy's Making History Foundation. Her mother had been eyeing the abandoned village for nearly five years now, and finally convinced the board it would be an excellent place to fix up and restore; she convinced them she could turn it into a reinactment village of Midevial Italy. Kat had been working for her mother since she was sixteen, she loved photography and put all her heart into it. The board obviously liked her pictures as much as her mother did since she became their main photographer, she had even been employee of the month two years ago.

She climbed out of her car and pressed the button on the car key to lock it after she had shut her door. Walking over towards the end of the hill she took her Sony Cybershot camera out of the bag and started it, it took only a few seconds for the camera to turn on. "This will be a great aerial view," she muttered as she held the camera and took a picture of the village. After she took the picture she went to preview and looked at the picture; the picture had turned out well she could see the entire village, as well as the small pond on the edge of the forest behind it.

Before she started walking down the hill she wondered for a moment if she should go back and get her tripod, she decided against it; she wasn't photographing people today, since the village was abandoned. Kat made her way down the hill, she paused only once to tie her ankle lengthed brown boots, make sure her tan cargo pants' pockets were filled with everything she had put in them from a spare set of contacts down to a camera lens cleaning kit. She tugged down a little on her grey scoop-neck t-shirt and pulled the tan vest back into place, the vest pockets were suprisingly empty. Anyone who knew Kat knew she loved to fill pockets with what most considered junk.

"Well, for an abandoned village there sure are a lot of cars here," Kat muttered when she saw nearly twenty cars parked at the far left hand corner of the parking lot along with a large white delivery van. Grabbing her cell phone from her right hip pocket she dialed her mother's number. It rang ten times.

"Hi, this is Amanda Levingston, president of the Making History Foundation, please leave your name, number, and message and I will call you back. Thank you." Exclaimed her mother's light but heavily itilian accented voice from the recorded message. Kat was only half itilian, her father had been Native American; he had died when she was thirteen, still everything he had taught her she kept close to her.

"Hi ma, it's me," Kat exclaimed into the answering machine figuring her mother was in a meeting, "I know that property search engine we looked the village up on said this village was abandoned, but I'm not so sure. It's in really, really bad shape, the village I mean. The parking lot has about twenty cars parked in it along with a large white delivery van. I'm going to see if I can find someone who could tell me if someones already bought the village or what; while I'm looking I will take pictures though incase the person who owns the village is intrested in selling. Love ya, mom. Bye." She hung up and made her way into the village, she snapped pictures as she promised she would. As she neared houses that looked lived in, she knocked on their doors, no answer.

Nearly three hours later Kat had taken pictures of the entire village, including the large house in center of the village that resembled a castle's wing. She paused realizing she hadn't taken pictures of the church yet, walking towards it she froze, her eyebrows knitted.

"Where's the book, Silvertounge?!" Growled a cat like voice.

_What the Hell? Please God tell me I haven't stumbled into a mobster's secret city or something! _Kat thought to herself in terror.

"I don't know," a man's voice replied, the voice sounded weary and miserable. "I've told you all before. I don't know. I just do not know. I thought the book I gave Basta was the right book, it must have been switched by someone-"

"By who your little daughter?" Growled the cat like voice again, "I think I'm going to make my mark on your face, you're face will match Dustfinger's."

_Oh shit. Oh Shit. Oh shit. I have soooo stumbled into a criminal's village, whoever you are in that church buddy, I feel bad for. I'll call the police first thing when I get in my car, right now I'm haulin' my itilian-indian butt outta here!_ Kat thought to herself as she quietly made her way away from the church. She didn't notice the flat faced man reading her liscence plate number as she drove off.

Once Kat was twenty minutes away from the village and away from the road with the devil's village! Signs, and the detour sign blocking the road, and far enough away from the major pot holes in the road, she dialed the police.

"E...O...S...ar...ent...G...t...zo...sp...king...llo?"

Kat cursed, all the trees were blocking the reception causing her phone to break up badly. She remembered how her mother handled times like these though, she spoke each word long, loud, slow, and clear.

"Hello...Officer," Kat exclaimed loudly, "Can you hear me?"

"es."

"I was taking pictures of an older village, the one at the end of..." She paused as she slowed her car down to read the name of the road she was on, "Bueno Antonio Highway, and I was told the village was abandoned. There are cars in the parking lot, and in an old church in the village...There's trouble in that village," she exclaimed, knowing she was babbling, she took a deep breath and calmed down, she could never help the man if she were a nervous wreck, "in the village's old church I heard a man threatning to kill another man."

"Wh...t? M...m...yo...r...ea...k...ng...p..."

Kat cursed again, she slowly and loudly told him the road name, the village at the end of the road, and about two men who were in a one sided fight, one was trying to kill the other.

"Othing...c.n...do...so...y..."

"What?!" Kat shouted, "Officer please, speak slower."

"Nothing...e...ca...do...no..evi...d...nce..."

"NO EVIDENCE? I took a video and it captured the sound, officer please!" Kat exclaimed before her phone beeped she cursed and hit the steering wheel at seeing the screen flash, call failed. She took a deep breath, it had been a three day drive from the village she and her mother lived in to this village. "Oh thank God," she muttered when she drove out of the trees and into a village. She pulled over for gas and filled up her car, then drove for nearly another three hours until she was convinced she was far enough away from that village, her heart tugged in her chest as if to yell at her for not helping that man. "Well it was either I stopped to help him and get killed myself, or get my butt out of there and call the police!" She mumbled to herself as she climbed out of her car and slammed the door shut. She tried the police again, and got the same line: not enough evidence.

Yeah. Sure. By just her luck the police officer who had answered was probably on that cat-man's pay roll. She opened her car's trunk and slung her backpack over her shoulder, closed the trunk, and pressed the button on her key to lock her car up again. She walked into the hotel, paid for a room for overnight.

She stood in her hotel room for a moment, as if afraid someone was going to come out at her with a knife, she shook her head and walked in, then shut the door behind her, she slid the chain into place, the lock above the handle, she felt a little safer. She dropped her back pack on the floor near the bed side table and sat down with a sigh. She grabbed her phone and dialed her mother, "please pick up, mom," she whispered.

"Hello?" Her mother asked after nearly five rings.

"Mom, it's me, the village isn't abandoned," Kat exclaimed, her heart pounding as the terror came back to her. Keeping calm wasn't one of her best qualities, she could cover her fear for a few hours, but after that...

"Kat, what happened?" Her mother's worried voice asked.

"I was finishing up taking pictures and small videos of the village," Kat replied, "and...I got near the old church and...There were voices of a raspy cat like man's voice threatning to kill another man simply over a dumb book."

"Kat...Sweetie..."

"Mom, I swear to you, I swear on the soul of dad, I am _NOT_ exaggerating, please mom!" Kat begged.

"Kat...I believe you," her mother replied softly, "I can hear how scared you are. Calm down, sweetie, calm down. Did you try calling the police? Most importantly where are you?"

"Nearly five or six hours away from that village, Im in a hotel in larger village. The hotels nearly booked full, that's why I chose it, I didn't feel like being an empty hotel tonight." She paused, "I called the police twice, the first time the call dropped, the second time they said the video and what was on it wasn't enough evidence. They didn't even ask to _see_ it ma!"

"Alright, Kat, honey, calm down. Do you need me to fly down there and get you?"

"No.." Kat replied, lying on the bed, "I'll drive back, I just needed to hear your voice I was really scared."

"I can see why, do you still have the pocket knife your father gave you a few years ago, and the mace I gave you before you left?"

"Yea," Kat replied, the pocket knife her father had made himself. One side of the handle had a carving of Chief Sitting Bull's face on it, the other side showed the Thunder Bird, not the car, the actual bird from Lakota stories.

"Keep them close," her mother replied, "Kat, honey, I hate to leave you like this but Mr. Antonzio wants to speak with me. Are you sure you'll be alright?"

"I'm sure," Kat replied, "I'm gonna get a shower, go down to the first floor there's a resteraunt down there, grab some dinner, come back up here and go to sleep."

"Kat...Say your rosary tonight, and...I never thought I'd be saying this...Wear that Thunder Bird necklace your father gave you close, ok?" Her mother asked.

"I will, and I am," Kat replied, "bye mom, love you."

"Love you."

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Tink. Click. Tink.

Kat's green eyes flew open as she sat up and stared at the door, click, click, tink, tink, click...There was someone trying to pick the lock! She paused, making sur she wasn't just imanging things or middle of a vivid dream from what she heard earlier that day. She swallowed as she pinched herself, no she was quiet awake, she dialed the front desk, then frowned when noone answer.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Exclaimed a man's voice from the hallway, "you can't pick that lock."

"My wife's asleep she forgot to give me the extra key," rasped the man who sounded like a rasping cat's voice.

"Oh really, then whose that with you? Her fiancee?" The other man's voice asked.

"Her brother."

Kat's heart pounded, she was about to say, I'm not married, but quickly covered her mouth. How had these men found her? They must have seen her car leaving the village, but how did they find her so quickly, or at all?! Fear caused her heart to race and her stomach to go into her throat in terror. She got up and slowly walked over to the windows, and opened the heavy crimson red curtains, praying her room had a balcony which...It didn't.

"Well, alright then, I'm the manager, I have the master key-card," the manager's voice exclaimed.

Kat rushed into the bathroom and locked the door. Panting she started pulling on the bathroom window, _open! Open NOW damn it! _She screamed at it in her mind.

"Thanks," Exclaimed a nasaly man's voice.

"Alright, she's gotta be in here," growled the cat like voice, "the bathroom."

_PLEASE...PLEASE...PLEASE OPEN..._ She begged the window in her mind, still it didn't budge.

"Oi! The doors locked!"

"Then knock it down you idiot!" The cat like voice growled.

Kat grabbed a small bottle of shampoo and opened it, when the door crashed open the flat faced man lunged at her, she opened the cap quickly and spurted the shampoo in his eyes.

"OW! YOU DAMNED LITTLE WITCH!" The flat faced man howled as he rubbed shampoo from his eyes.

Kat ran, she didnt see the other man anywhere, she didnt stop to grab her phone, purse, back pack, camera, nothing, she just ran. She made it into an elevator right as the doors were closing, she looked around it in terror. Except for her in her night gown it was empty. She sighed and leaned against the corner, her heart pounding as tears flowed down her cheeks, she wiped them out of her eyes.

_No, hold it together Kat you need to get help._ She told herself. She listened to the soft elevator music, at least it was a little comforting, not by much though. Her took long breaths in and slowly exhaled, anything to keep herself from completely losing it. She felt so..so...vulnerable...so alone..so helple- _NO!_ She snapped at herself, _you just need to get around people. You'll be fine._ She stroked her finger on her car key she had grabbed before darting into the bathroom, she was surprised she wasn't bleeding by now from holding the key so tightly in her hand.

When the elevator doors opened she peeked out into the lobby, a man and a woman were watching the late night news on a big screen tv in the lobby; the news caster's voice from the speakers echoed around the lobby...It was a comforting sound. She walked over to the front desk and froze when she saw the clerk had been knocked out, she swallowed a curse and checked on the man and woman, they were busy watching tv.

"Sir? I'm in trouble, could I borrow your phone, please?" Kat asked as she walked over to the balding man.

He turned to her, then shrugged and handed his phone to her, "keep close to me though, I want that phone back."

Kat nodded and dialed the police, she blinked when the same officer she had talked to earlier hung up on her. What was this? The Twilight Zone 2: The Curse of the Gangster Village?! She dialed her mother's number, the answering machine left the same message.

"Mom, its me, two men were just in my room, and I---I left my phone everything in there and just ran its a long story. Im driving home, straight through-"

"In your night gown?" Questioned the blonde woman who looked to be about in her mid fifites.

"Yes, in my night gown, I'll buy clothes on the way!" Kat snapped, "Sorry, sorry, I'm just-"

"Scared," the man replied, "yes I know the two men you are speaking of."

"Mom, I think I just found help, love you, please...please...keep your phone around more? ok.." Then hung up and handed the man back his phone. "You know them?"

"Very well," the woman nodded, "that village at the end of the road there, its owned by a man named Capricorn, he's very, very cruel. You have to pay protection payments to him every month. What did you do to get in trouble with him?"

"I...I work for Southern Italy's Making History Foundation, they sent me out to take some pictures because they were intrested in purchasing the village. I um...heard something...and left...I guess one of them saw my car leaving."

The man looked to her, "you're in trouble then, big trouble," he frowned, "they tracked our neighbor all the way back to his home country, Asia, and we haven't heard from him since."

Kat's breath was shaky and long, she felt like she was going to pass out. She was going to die. Just over some guy refusing to give some other guy a damned book!

"Now...That's not true, Casey and Indiana Jones visited that village and they were seen and their just fine." Argued the woman, her blue eyes looking into Kat's.

"They're just kids, that's why," the man replied, rolling his eyes, he tugged down his light blue polo shirt.

"Wait, they were seen...But got away?"

The woman nodded, "maybe they just wanted to ask you what you heard and explain it was a misunderstanding? I've heard of that happening before."

"Really, Mallerie, since when?" The man scoffed.

"OI! Where could she have gone Basta?" The flat faced man asked as he stepped out of the elevator.

Kat darted and ran out the door.

"There she goes! Get her you idiot, get her!"

Kat ran as fast as she could, she winced as she ran across sharp stones on the parking lot's asphalt, she pressed the unlock button on the car and opened door, climbed in, shut the door and locked it just in time. The flat faced man smacked against her closed door, stepped back then tried to yank the handle open.

"Oi! Open this handle ye lil' witch!" he growled.

Kat didn't look at him to closely, she shielded the side of her face with one hand, the other started up the car, she couldn't give him a good look on what she looked like. She was about to pull the shifter into drive when the passenger door opened and a short man with dark brown hair, a foxy face, dark brown eyes, climbed in, a knife pointed at her throat.

"I don't think so," he smiled at her, "now why don't you be a good girl and get out of the car?"

"How.."

The man smiled, "I love my knife," he growled.

"Alright, alright," Kat replied leaning back, "I just need to move around a bit, Im hurting," she said softly. Before moving around in the seat enough she lifted her leg and kicked the sole of her foot into his face, knocking him out of the car, she pulled down the shifter and drove, the car door slammed shut on it's own, she locked it.

It hadn't been five minutes when a dark blue car came up behind her and rear ended her. The last thing she remembered before her head hit the steering wheel was a scraping sound from her door. The door opening. And the foxy faced man sneering down at her, then nothing...

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Something cool was on her forehead, "ooh..."

"Heavens, I think she's waking up," exclaimed the voice of an older woman.

"Thankfully so," exclaimed a man's voice, it sounded familiar, "miss, are you ok?"

Kat slowly opened her eyes to find a light brown haired man leaning over her, his blue eyes stared down at her in concern. An older woman was standing up and slightly hunched down to see her better; then there was a little girl, maybe around twelve.

"Where...Where am I?"

"You're in Capricorn's village," frowned the little girl, "why were brought here?"

"I...I was taking pictures, thought the village was abandoned..." Kat replied softly, "is today still Thursday?"

"Well, friday now, its four in the morning," the man frowned.

"Where...what is this?" Kat asked, trying to sit up, she yelped and grabbed her head.

"Lay back down," the man replied, "you have one nasty bump on your head. It's some kind of holding room."

"It had better not be that knife holder!" The older woman hissed.

The man stood up, Kat looked over to the door, a small red headed woman walked in, with blankets, and a bag filled with cold ice. Kat looked at the woman she looked jumpy and when the little girl hugged her, the woman hugged her back.

"I see you're awake," the woman said softly, kneeling down, "When did she wake up?"

"Just a minute ago," the man replied.

"It's ok," the woman said softly when Kat lurched back. Kat looked at the red head, she was dressed as the foxy faced man had been, only with a skirt. "It's alright, I'm a friend, my names Joy. I'm here to help you."

"She is," the man replied, "you can trust her."

Joy nodded, "I saw my husband carry you in here about four hours ago. You're the photographer aren't you? You really had my husband and other men going crazy there for a while trying to find you."

"Wait," Kat winced, "whose your husband? The flat faced man, or the foxy faced man?"

"The foxy faced man," Joy replied, "not by choice either," she added softly. Kat leaned back as the woman wiped a cool cloth over her forhead and set the bag of ice on it, "hold that."

Kat held it, she found herself exhausted all the sudden.

"What's your name?" Joy asked.

"Katherine Levingston, my friends call me Kat though, some of my friends are supersticious and call me black kat."

"Why black cat?" Questioned the little girl.

Kat bit her lip, _because when the Powers That Be choose for me to have visions I do._ She thought to herself, wishing she had visions of what this cursed village really was so she could have turned around and left. "Um...my hairs black..whats your name?"

"I'm Meggie, this is my father, Mo, and my Aunt Eleanor..."

Kat didn't hear any more than that she fell back to sleep utterly exhausted.


	2. Joy's help & Cockerell's fiancee?

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inkheart, or any of it's characters, Cornelia Funke does. I do not own National Geographic or Discovery Magazine. I own Joy, Basta Jr., and Kat.**

Kat opened her eyes the same time the door to the holding cell was opening.

"C'mon Silvertounge, don't dawdle," growled a baritone voice, "out with all ye."

_Silvertounge? What the heck?_ Kat asked herself, she looked around the holding cell, or whatever it was, lost for a long moment. Where was she? Why was she here? What happened? It slowly came back to her, going out the previous afternoon to take pictures of the not-so-abandoned village; driving away at hearing threats towards the same man, Silvertounge who she had met only a few hours ago; calling her mother in fear; staying in the hotel for only a few hours before Basta and Flatnose barged in; running out of the hotel in her nightgown; the man and woman in the lobby were only a quick blur in her memory; and finally trying to drive away from the hotel only to be rear ended by the men from the village.

"Get up," growled the baritone voice, Kat looked up and froze to see a man around the same height as the knife bearing man, Basta. The man's face was narrow, he wore what little of a beard he had in a goatee; his hair was jet black and stopped just below his collar. He wore a black suit with a black button down shirt underneath it, a rooster feather was stuck in the button hole of his jacket. "Huh, yer actually kinda pretty."

"Kat, get up," Mo's voice exclaimed to her, "these men aren't ones for playing around."

Kat craned her neck towards the door, nodded and slowly stumbled up, she nearly lost her balance until the black haired man caught her.

"Oy, now tha's a nice feeling," he smiled, "a woman dependin' on ya, a pretty woman, not an old ugly fat woman," he sneered at Eleanor.

"I beg your pardon, that woman did not ask for your help nor your support," Eleanor huffed, before Mo took her arm and pulled her out with Meggie.

"Good thing Basta's already married," the man brothe, "or he'd take ya, though I'm not sure he would...they call you Cat and your hairs black, black cat." He laughed, "Basta's extremely supersticious-"

"Enough chat, Cockerell," Flatnose exclaimed, "that little witch threw shampoo in my eyes last night! Bloody stuff still stings!"

Kat looked into Cockerell's blue eyes, they were filled with evil, hate, and mischief, she wanted him to let go of her now. She blushed hard when she realized she only had on her night gown and undies. As if knowing what she was thinking his eyes traveled down her form before he drug her out out of the holding cell, which she soon saw was actually the animal housing. She yelped when her feet made contact with the burning hot side walk, she curled her toes.

"Get o'er it," Cockerell growled, "a lil' sun burn didn't do anyone no harm! Let's go, Capricorn's waited long enough."

"Cockerell!"

"Huh?" He asked, Kat looked up, her face still blushing, she winced from the sunlight and from the soles of her feet burning on the side walk to see Joy walking up.

"I was sent to clean K-this woman up," Joy said, taking Kat's arm, "Mortola said Capricorn wishes to see no one in their pajamas."

"Did he now, Joy?" Cockerell asked, stepping foward.

Kat's heart pounded as she looked at Joy who stood her ground; was she lying to Cockerell, she must have been since the man looked rather used to being lied too. Kat swore the limping man was about to step on Joy's feet he was so close to her as he looked into her dark brown eyes.

"Yes," Joy replied sternly, glaring Cockerell in the eye, "she did. Do you want to speak with her yourself? She's yelling at the maids to get into the church and clean up from breakfast."

"Ye better not be lying to me, Joy," Cockerell growled, "wouldn't your husband be interested to know his little wife was taking matters into her own hands..._Again?_"

Kat gaped at Joy, though she was small, she really stood her ground against these guys; Kat bit her lip, if only she were braver, and smarter...If she had been she would have run into the small bar across the street from the lobby. She was sure bikers wouldn't mind hiding a woman in a night gown. It was too late for regrets, she thought to herself, she was just going to have to grin and bare it and hope for the best. Her hand went around her neck, the small pendant of the Lakota Thunder Bird still hung from the black cord around her neck. _Thunder Bird, protector of all indians, please help me! _

"Kat?" Joy asked softly, Kat opened her eyes to see Cockerell and Flatnose were leaving with Mo, Meggie, and Eleanor. "Let's get you some clothes," she said softly, "we need to be quick though, my husband is bound to be looking for me."

"Did that woman really send you-"

"No," replied Joy, "but she would consider it a favor for you to be properly dressed. I do not think even she would enjoy seeing a woman...Looked out by all of Capricorn's men the way Cockerell was looking at you." Joy's arm looped around Kat's as she led her across the village quickly into a small house.

Kat looked around she wondered how she had missed this house when she took her photos. The house had four rooms: a living room that was obviously now a bedroom; a small bathroom; a small bedroom; and what looked like a room converted into a nursery.

"Are you a mother?"

"Yes," Joy replied, nodding, "I have a son named Basta Junior, named after his father; I'm pregnant with another baby right now," she replied opening the drawer of the dresser she took out the sun dress, "I bought this when I was buying baby clothes for Basta Junior before he was born. My husband doesn't know I bought it, it's best you have it, I do not think I shall ever...be wearing it."

"Thank you so much," Kat smiled, taking the dress, "you've really done a lot for me, you don't even know why are you doing this?"

"Because, I know the feeling of being kept somewhere against your will," Joy replied, "and from how Cockerell took a shine to you I'm beginning to feel I will not be the only black jacket's wife here much longer."

"Wait, that guy with the limp? We can't get married, we don't even know eachother, I mean besides whose there to marry-"

"Trust me," Joy replied, pushing Kat into the bathroom, "Capricorn has men working for him, if Cockerell likes you even more...You may be Mrs. Cockerell before the sun sets today. I was taken to this village and on my twenty first birthday, my gift was being married to Basta. Now please, hurry!"

Kat nodded and took the dress, she closed the bathroom door and wrinkled her nose. The bathroom mirror was old, slightly dusty, and cracked down the middle. The corners had spider webs growing from them, a large hairy spider stared down at her, she jerked away in fear. The toilet, sink, and shower all seemed to work though and seemed rather new. She slid out of her night gown quickly, the door opened a crack and Joy tossed a bra into the bathroom.

"Thanks," Kat exclaimed, putting it on, she slid on the sundress and stepped out.

Joy smiled, "I think that dress was made for you, here step into these."

Kat looked down and stepped into a pair of sandals, before she could thank Joy again she found herself being quickly dragged towards the church. Joy didn't say a word, her dark brown eyes kept moving around looking for someone.

"JOY!"

Kat jumped at hearing Basta's rapsy voice, she looked up to see the man grab Joy's wrist.

"What took you so long?" Basta growled, "and where'd she get the clothes from?"

"I found the dress and sandals in the box from the main kitchen," Joy replied, as her hand let go of Kat's, Basta's hand wrapped around Kat's wrist and squeezed.

"Well," Basta growled to Kat, his breath reaked of peppermint, "you're lucky, I'd hit you but Cockerell is planning to ask Capricorn if he can hae your hand in marriage. You'll be married tonight if all fares well, just make sure you're loyal to Capricorn and bow - curtsey - to him."

"Let go of me you rasping monster," Kat sneered, "I'm not afraid of y-"

"Don't you ever lie to me," Basta growled, hauling her close so they were nose to nose, "you ran from Flatnose and me last night as if we were the devil and his demon chasing after you themselves. Don't you _ever_ lie to me."

"Basta, she's scared be easier on h-" Joy started before Basta turned and let go of Joy's wrist only to smack her. Kat put a hand over her mouth, her eyes widening.

"Do not tell me what to do Joy, you learned that lesson long ago do not step out of line now."

"I'm sorry, it won't happen again," Joy replied, though something in her tone didn't sound completely truthful to Kat.

Basta glared at her before dragging Kat into the church and shoving her in, he then walked out and was gone for nearly five more minutes. Kat walked over to Mo, her eyes wide.

"Kat, are you alright?" Meggie asked.

Kat managed a shaky nod, "he...Basta...he...Hit...Joy..."

"Monster!" Growled Eleanor.

Mo sighed, "we've seen him hit her before, I have too. She was there when they brought me here; she took good care of me, as she did Meggie, Eleanor, and you."

Kat nodded and watched as the doors opened again, Basta walked through looking happier, "ah looks like Dirty Fingers is playing with his best friend again," he snickered, watching a scarred man playing with a match. Kat's eyebrows went up in confusion, then went down in anger at seeing Basta was pulling Joy behind him, in his free hand was a gas can.

"Basta, let Joy's wrist go, you're hurt-"

"Shut up, Dirty Fingers!" Basta growled, "she's mine! I'll do with her as I please, she's _**not**_ yours, don't you dare look in her direction again or I'll cut your tounge out!"

Kat winced, poor Joy! Poor...Guy that played with fire.

"That's Dustfinger," Meggie whispered to her, "I thought he was a friend, but he wasn't..." she looked down.

Kat's heart went out to the little girl, she hugged Meggie close to her, she didn't know what words could be the right ones to say. Her eyes looked around the church, it had no pews, the altar was still there, but it had changed into more of a...stage than anything else. The walls were painted red, curtains hung over the windows, there were two long tables in the left hand corner of the church, maids were busy sweeping up crumbs from the floor and cleaning the tables. A chair that resembled a throne sat on top of the stage; then near the side entrance of the church a huge and ugly statue of a man the color of milk glared down at her. She looked away from it quickly, uncomfortable. She looked near the chair to see the second stair leading to the stage had been made into another level, chairs were lined up in rows.

"What...Is...This?" She whispered.

"Capricorn's church," Mo replied softly, "he's converted it to the way he wants it. Don't say a word, Kat, you too Meggie, you too Eleanor, let me do the talking. I don't want any one of you hurt."

Kat, Meggie, and Eleanor nodded, though Kat thought to herself, _why are you protecting me when you don't even know me?_

"You know, Basta, fire takes insults very quickly and lashes out at the person who offended it," DustFinger exclaimed, holding the match closer to Basta as the small flame danced around, Basta took a step back. Everyone in the church froze expecting Basta to either hit or kill Dustfinger.

"You're lucky I just cleaned my knife," growled Basta.

Kat looked over to see Joy talking to an older woman that resembled a Magpie. Joy's hands were clasped in front of her waist she didn't meet the old woman in the eye, instead she seemed to look at her chin. The woman had obviously ordered her to do something, maybe not to carry out the order just then, but Joy nodded, then walked back over to beside her husband.

"Did you enjoy your rest, Silvertounge?" Asked a knew voice, Kat looked up to see an albino walk in followed by a line of men that looked more like a bunch of crows. She raised an eyebrow, you didn't see a flock of crows following a pigeon just every day of the week. That should have made the cover of National Geographic, or Discovery Magazine, as far as she was concerned.

Mo glared at the man but didnt say a word.

"Cockerell I understand you wished to speak a small bit of business to me before we began," the man said softly, so softly that Kat almost didn't hear him as he sat down in his throne like chair.

"Yes," Cockerell replied, bowing deeply to the man, "the woman Basta and Flatnose brought back last night. The photographer."

"She is here?" The man questioned.

"Yes," Cockerell replied, turning and looking at her, Kat's heart leapt into her throat. No! She didn't want that albino seeing her, he made her feel like some poor frog that was about to be dissected and couldn't do anything to stop it.

"On with you," hissed Flatnose's voice as he shoved her forward.

Kat stumbled forward, Cockerell took her wrist and held her close, "bow," he hissed. Kat glared at him, then gave a small bow to Capricorn to avoid being hit or slapped.

"Why were you photographing my village, miss...?"

"Katherine Levingston," Kat replied, "I work for the Making History Foundation; they thought this village was abandoned and sent me to take photographs of it. If I had known that you owned it I would not have taken any photos, I would have turned and left. I knocked on doors and asked if anyone was there but noone answered-"

The man held up a hand, "this village is mine." He replied, his words were soft yet somehow terrifying enough to make Kat want to run for her life. This guy was pure evil. "It is not for sale, I saw your photographs they are well taken, you will not be leaving my village, I may have use for you."

Kat froze and swallowed, she had lost her voice.

"Capricorn, sir, I was wondering if I may take her hand in marriage, as Basta took Joy's hand in marriage," Cockerell questioned.

Capricorn paused, then looked intently on Kat as if deciding she was worthy enough of being Cockerell's wife.

"Yes, tonight you may marry Katherine," Capricorn nodded, "now...On to more important matters. Silvertounge, did you like my little surprise? I was thinking of not letting you see your daughter until the morning, but she brought me what I wanted for so long. I said to myself, Capricorn that child deserves something."

Mo glared at Capricorn, while Cockerell's arm wrapped around Kat's waist. Kat swallowed back her tears, now she understood how poor Joy felt.


	3. Its raining coins & Meet Illene

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inkheart or any of it's characters, Cornelia Funke does. I own Katherine 'Kat' Levingston, her mother Illene Levingston, Dr. Inglestone, his son Alexander Inglestone, and the Baroness.**

Kat was still in shock she had just seen the guy with the limp, and he wanted to _marry_ her? Talk about a shot gun wedding...She didn't even know the guy! _How the hell does this guy know me? Unless that Basta and his pal Flatnose let little limping guy walk along with them while throwing me in to that animal housing...Still I wasn't awake! _She was deep in her thoughts and had been for a while the last thing she had trully remembered noticing was Dustfinger getting his hands burned while trying to grab one of the books out of the burning barrels. She heard gasps followed by clinks, tinks, she jumped as she came out of her thoughts and back into the real world.

She gasped as golden and silver coins fell from the sky as if there were a rain shower, a coin rolled up and bounced against her sandal. She stooped down and grabbed it quickly and looked at it; _Holy Jumpin' Jehosafats! These are...British coins era seventeen hundreds...The same kind that are sitting in the 'Piece of History' Museum..._

"That belongs to Capricorn, though it's good to see you'e only just met him and you are already loyal," a male voice with a coarse accent exclaimed; Kat froze and stepped back a little, the guy with the limp. What did albino guy..Er..Capricorn call him again? Cockerell.

"I-I," Kat stammered, she looked behind her to see Mo, Meggie, and Eleanor had walked only a little ways away. Kat's heart suddenly dropped, _I'm only a stranger, he's done enough nice things to help me. I need to show that I have a back bone...Though I need to do it carefully so I don't wind up getting my head shot off._ "Actually, I was intending on keeping it as a um...Good luck charm."

"Ye better not be like Basta just when I got permission to have you as my wife. Basta is supersticious enough, afraid shadows will eat him; afraid a black cat shall make his so-called-luck worse. You are never to be supersticious, give me that," Cockerell sneered, grabbing the coin from Kat's hand he limped over to a sack another black jacket was holding while scooping coins and gems into, he dropped the coin in. "However," he smiled, "Capricorn was gracious to let me keep this ring that Silvertounge read out," he slipped it onto Kat's finger. Kat paled and looked down at it, it was a small golden ring that fit so well it was as if it had been made for her; in middle of the ring was a green emerald, holding the emerald in place were two small carefully carved golden dragons.

"Thank you," Kat replied, she had intended to stand up to the man, but after remembering how Basta treated Joy...How he hit her...The small display of anger that Cockerell had shown was just enough to convince Kat to be good. However, in back of her mind she was still trying to find a way to escape.

"Leave the small change for later, everyone back to your seats," Capricorn ordered, not once raising his voice. Kat shuddered, _Creepy how they all listen to him without him having to raise his voice..._ Kat still wondered if she had walked into the Twilight zone, _or am I in a room filled with aliens and 'engaged' to an alien? _

"Kat?" Joy asked softly, walking over to her, "Capricorn has asked me to teach you the do's and don'ts of the village sort of speak," she smiled a little, though her dark brown eyes looked so sad, "after the next readings, I mean...Kat, I have to admit, I'm unhappy I did not know Cockerell would ask to marry you, I'm so sorry. I know what it's like being married to...One of Capricorn's men. It is not easy, it's a constant struggle each and every day. Please, feel free to speak to me whenever you can, we can help support each other." She smiled.

Kat nodded, "Thanks, um...Basta...Is he Capricorn's son or something? 'Cause Capricorn really only talks to him, or from what little I've seen. But still."

Joy looked over at her husband, and Kat followed her gaze it was obvious he had heard Kat's question, since he looked proud and he was smiling. _Well isn't he just a bundle full of pride?_ Kat thought to herself.

Joy looked back to her, "no, he's Capricorn's second in command, in other words he's the leader of the black jackets. It is best never to cross him...What he does with that knife," she shuddered and put her hand on her arm as if remembering the knife on her. Kat didn't have to be Sherlock Holmes to know that Basta abused her and raised his knife to her, and by the way she was holding herself, he probably cut her more than once..._That poor woman, she doesn't deserve being here...Married to..._She glanced at Basta and masked her disgust with fascination, _that._

"Onto the next story, Silvertounge," Capricorn ordered, though it sounded as if he were simply talking about the weather.

_Gee, underneath all that ritzy suit and all this, he must be bored outta his skull or something. He should really look into being a weather man, though they'd have to use some kind of make up or someone would think he was part of a storm moving in..._ Kat thought to herself.

"The next book?" Eleanor exclaimed, "he's read this treasure out for you-"

Mo put his hand on the woman's shoulder and shook his head, he sat down as Basta walked over and put his hand onto Meggie's shoulder with a less than friendly smile. Kat's heart went into her throat, if he hurt Joy the way he did, he could easily kill that poor child! She stepped forward, but it was Joy who stood beside Basta, took his hand and kissed it.

"Let her be with her father, Basta," Kat heard Joy say softly to Basta, "he's terrified of losing her, he will read to keep her safe. Let her sit with him, they both need eachother."

Basta let Meggie sit down and hug her father's arm.

"Did you know Meggie that the Arabs say..." Mo's voice started, Kat didn't hear what he was fully saying when she yelped in surprise as an arm wrapped around her waist.

Capricorn's colorless eyes focused on her, she felt as if a blade made of ice had just pierced through her stomach. Cockerell was standing beside her, eyes wide, his face looked somewhere between angry and embaressed. Capricorn's eyes left her and went back to Mo.

"Don't ever do that again," Cockerell growled in Kat's ear.

Kat nodded, "I won't, I swear, I'm sorry, I was just surprised; I'm not used too-"

"Cockerell, come stand up here where you belong," Capricorn exclaims, "cut the tounge out of anyone who interrupts Silvertounge. That includes your fiance's tounge as well."

"Yes, Capricorn," Cockerell exclaimed, bowing as he walked past Capricorn, dragging Kat with him. Kat swallowed, her mouth and throat felt as dry as sand paper..._I'm never going to live through this, this is way to hard playing the obedient future little misses. I can't do this much longer, I miss taking my photographs and being free...Not caged. What does Joy feel like though? She's obviously been here for a while, and I've only heard the begginning of a complaint out of her not even a full one. I would have never acted like this a few days ago, well a few days ago I could have never imangined two suited men trying to kidnap me either._

--------------------------------------------------

Illene Levingston took her Black Berry out of her purse and dialed her daughter's cell phone number again, it rang nearly eight times before her answering machine message came up, again. "Hey, this is Kat Levingston, I'm not near my phone right now. Leave your name, number, and message and I'll get back to you." BEEP.

"Katherine Katie Levingston, it's..." Illene glanced from her steering wheel to her dashboard, "three o' clock in the afternoon and you still haven't called me back! Where are you? Honey, are you in some kind of trouble, please...Call me." She pressed the red button on her Black Berry and shoved it back into her purse that sat on the passenger seat of her small silver SUV. Worry burrowed in her heart, she knew something bad had happened to her daughter, she had called the police and had as much luck with them as Kat had. Only they had told her that Kat was probably out taking photographs somewhere, or partying or something and to give it a few days, she'd show up. Illene wanted to reach through the phone and strangle the police officer and shout, 'That is my baby! I know my baby! She's no partyer, she's not irresponsible! Don't you tell me somethings not wrong when I damned well know there is something wrong, not only did she tell me it's a mother's intution! Aren't you a parent? What if she were your child, what would you do?!'

She took a deep breath as calmed herself down somewhat, she had to be calm to meet this Dr. Darryl Inglestone who was thinking of donating his summer home and everything in it to the Southerin Italy Making History Foundation. The summer house had once been the home of Baroness Patricia Langeslo in the late eighteen hundreds, everything in the man's summer home was exactly the way the baroness had left it. The summer home, the doctor had told her over the phone, is where he went when he wanted quiet, and a place where he could escape from everything, including electricity. He was retired now, and in his late sixties, he had his wife, children, and grandchildren to think of now.

She lowered down the visor and lifted the plastic lid that covered the mirror. She looked at herself, her face was in the shape of a heart, her chin a bit pointy, she had green eyes and dark brown hair. She looked at herself, she was a mess, her hair that she had put into a bun earlier that morning was slowly coming down; her dark blue eye shadow was smudged, her mascara was smeared into small rivers from tears of worry about her daughter. The only thing that had survived was the pressed powder, the blush, and her rose colored lipstick. She took down her hair and let it fall around her, she checked the clock, it was three o clock and the doctor still hadn't shown up yet; she figured she could quickly fix herself up before he pulled up. She finger combed her hair, twisted it tightly and curled it into a bun, she let the black octopus clip hold it in place.

She cleaned the make up off her face, she didn't wear foundation, she only wore the powder. She quickly reapplied it, after doing so for 'many winters' as her husband would have said, she was an expert. She sucked in her cheeks and applied her blush, she put a small band of blush on the sides and tip of her nose to bring it all together. She let go of her cheeks and applied her dark blue eye liner, then her eye shadow, her mascara, and finally her lipstick. She was capping up her lipstick when a dark blue mini-van pulled up and parked.

Illene climbed out of the car and smiled, "Dr. Inglestone?"

"No, I'm his son," replied another man's voice as he climbed out. The man was much younger, maybe only a year or two older than Illene herself. She gasped, he was gorgeous, he had short black wavy hair, dark brown eyes, and stood at least six foot two inches tall. He wore a black suit, over the suit he wore a brown trench coat. "Detective Alexander Inglestone," he smiled.

She brothe in for a long moment, the good Lord had sent her a blessing? Hopefully it wouldn't blow up in her face. "Ah...Your father was intersted in selling-"

"_Donating_," replied Alexander with a smile.

"Ah yes, donating, the Baroness Langeslo home..."

"Yes, he is and here are the papers, the key, the whole nine yards, it's yours," Alexander replied, handing her a vanilla envelope, Illene took i.

"Ah..Wait..When is a person offically a missing person?"

"Why?" Alexander asked, then paused, "Miss...ah.."

"Illene, Illene Levingston," Illene replied.

"Might I ask whose missing?"

"My daughter...Katherine, though I call her Kat," she replied, "I heard from her last night but I haven't heard anything from her at all today. She had run into some sort of trouble..." Illene paused, "she went to a village the Southern Italy's Making History Foundation sent her to take pictures of. She called me saying the village wasn't abandoned and...And that she had heard a man threaten another man's life. She was terrified yesterday when she called me. I...I've been trying to call her all day, it's not like her to not call back."

"I know the village you're speaking of, maybe she's in a dead zone?"

"No, she would have called me as soon as she got out of a dead zone. I know my daughter don't tell me-"

"Easy, easy," Alexander replied, "have you called the police in that area?"

"I have but they tell me to give it time she'll show up."

"The police down there...Are..." he paused shaking his head, "well...Their not very good at what they do, I'll leave it at that. I don't know what good I'm going to be able to do, but I have a friend that works down there. Your daughter heard somoene threatning to kill someone else which puts her as a witness and endangers here, from now she's a missing person that needs to go into protective custody."

Illene sat down in her car as Alexander grabbed a walkie-talkie from his car, she cried in relief, help the police were finally helping her.

"Mrs. Levingston, what does Katherine look like? Do you have a photo of her?"

"Yes, yes, I do," Illene replied, taking out her wallet she took out the picture Billy, Kat's boyfriend, had taken of her and handed it to him.

"Don't leave yet," Alexander exclaimed, "can you get some time off work to go down around where your daughter dissapeared?" He asked, "my friend, Detective Charlie Raggonli works down there and ol' Charlie's an old time cop, so he won't blow this case off."

"I can get as much time off as I need off, I'm the president of the foundation." Illene replied.

---------------------------------------------

Kat walked with Joy down the side walk, she had a pair of new clothes in her arms: a black jacket, a white blouse, an ankle lengthed black skirt, a black leather belt, ankle lengthed one inch black boots, a cameo that matched Joy's, only instead of a rose she had a light blue Perriwinkle flower to stick in her suit jacket's button hole.

"It's alright to be afraid," Joy said softly.

"I know," Kat sighed, "I just feel...Ashamed of myself, giving in so easily and quickly, I should be braver and stand up to that bastard-"

Joy looked at Kat, "you're doing what you can to survive. Standing up for yourself is good, I will give you that, but don't do it so much that you anger Cockerell into abusing you...He's not Basta, but I've seen his temper, it's far from pretty. Just cooperate, and be his silent support, after a while he'll start doing a few things for you, don't push it though. Whatever he does for you, he'll choose to do on his own, let him do it on his own."

Kat nodded, "were you afraid when Basta asked permission to marry you?" She asked.

"Basta did not need permission to marry me," Joy replied shaking her head, "Capricorn offered me to him. He agreed and since then I have been married to him. I shall you from experience, it will be rough and hard, but I learned to love my Basta, maybe...If all fares well you shall grow to love your Cockerell?"

"Talking about me are we?" Cockerell's voice asked, Kat fought back from tensing as he walked up beside her and wrapped his arm around her waist. He took a handful of her hair and inhaled, "you smell wonderful," he commented, letting her hair fall, "even Resa is not as pretty as you are." He looked over at Joy, "Basta's lookin' for you."

"Thank you," Joy replied, then paused, "Cockerell, please be easy with her and let her dress in private. She deserves that much."

"Joy, you are in position to be telling-"

"She asked you!" Kat exclaimed, Joy gave Kat a horrified look and shook her head no.

Cockerell slapped Kat so hard Kat stumbled back, she blinked back tears.

"Don't you ever speak against me again," he sneered.

"I'm sorry," Kat apologized, though inside she was far from angry, inside she wanted to strangle and slap the crap out of Cockerell and shout, 'Hey! Ya like that? Do ya? Huh? That's what your doing to me you jack ass!'

"I'll forgive you this time since you don't know much about anything around here," Cockerell replied, putting his arm around her waist he led her to his home. Kat looked around, Cockerell's house resembled Basta's, only the dresser was in worse shape, two drawers were falling out, and the mirror had a spider web shaped crack on it. The bed was slightly smaller than Basta's; on top of the dresser instead of bricks there were photographs of burning houses, beside the photos there was a burnt roof shingle.

"Like my collection?" Cockerell smiled, "we've burnt nearly fourteen houses so far. At least that is how many burns I have been on. Basta's afraid of fire, so he 'supervises.'" He laughed, "go on into the bathroom and change."

"Thank you," Kat replied.

Cockerell grunted, "I think I'll like having you as a wife. Like how your voice is small and soft, ya don't find that quality in women in this world very often."


	4. Home at last & Caught again

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inkheart or any of it's characters Cornelia Funke does. I own Kat, her mother Illene, Dr. Inglewood, his son Detective Inglewood, Sophia, and Graziano.**

**  
A/N: Hey ya'll thank you so much for all the good reviews! If you want to read another really good Inkheart story, check out MusicRush's **_**Dustfinger's Sister: Violet.**_

Kat felt sorry for Mrs. Medlock from the Secret Garden who wore an attire close to the one Kat was wearing. The boots hugged tightly against Kat's feet and ankles, even though most women wouldn't have trouble wearing the one inch heels, Kat did; she wasn't one for wearing fancy dresses and high heels period. Her normal attire were usually jeans or cargo pants; a t-shirt or blouse and sneakers or sandals. For times when she had to go to meetings and other events with her mother for the Southern Italy's Making History Foundation she would wear a nice pant-suit and black buckle loafers that barely had a heel on them at all.

"Oy! What's takin' you so long in there? Joy gave birth to Basta Jr. faster than you're takin' to dress!" Cockerell's voice snapped from the outside of the bathroom door.

"I'm not used to wearing such...Fancy clothing, I'm being careful."

"Fancy?!" Cockerell's voice laughed, "it's just the typical Black-Jacket's wife attire! We have 'undreds of them! Don't matter if that one gets ruined there's plenty more, now step out of there!"

Kat paused, best not to make him too angry she figured. She turned the bathroom door knob, took a step forward - and fell straight onto Cockerell.

"Fallin' for me so soon, eh?" He smiled, Kat blushed hard and used him as a leaning post as she stood up and balanced herself on the heels. "Don't tell me you've never worn heels before! I never heard of a woman not wearing them!"

"All my shoes are flat bottoms," Kat replied.

"Oy! Hold on then, Joy said you were lookin' at those shoes strangely, here, thank her she brought them by a moment ago," Cockerell exclaimed handing Kat a pair of boots that were the same as the ones she had on, only the heel was maybe half an inch off the ground. _I'm going to have to thank Joy over and over again! These boots are killing me! _She sat down on Cockerell's bed and took off the boots, then set them on the floor next to the left side of the bed; she changed into the boots Joy brought, they were still tight, but she could walk in them!

"Do tha' again."

"Do...What again?" Kat asked, confused, all she did was walk.

"When you walk," Cockerell muttered, "just walk."

Kat shrugged and walked, she glanced at Cockerell to see exactly what had captured his attention: the way her skirt was hugging her waist showed very well how her hips moved. Her face went bright red, _pervert! _She thought humiliated.

"Cockerell," exclaimed a new voice, Kat looked up to see a girl around twelve standing in the door way; she had dark curly brown hair, wide blue eyes behind small square wire framed glasses; she wore a plain black dress; black tights under the dress and ankle lengthed boots with a smaller heel than Kat's boots had.

"Yes, Sophia?" He asked.

"Daddy wants to know if you want a batch-eh-lohr party," Sophia replied, Kat noticed her hands were in her pockets.

"Hmm..." Cockerell muttered, "no, she's much prettier than the maids," he smiled, "what do you have in your pockets, Melinda?"

The little girl glanced up at Cockerell, "don't tell daddy?"

"I won't tell your father as long as it's not something for that other girl, Silvertounge's daughter," replied Cockerell.

Sophia reached into her pocket and took out a small bright green tree frog with red eyes, "I found him near the pond. Oh please Cockerell, can I keep him?"

"Well," Cockerell paused, stroking his beard.

"Please, you're daddy's best friend you're like an uncle, if you say it's okay daddy will say it's okay! Please!"

"Alright," Cockerell smiled, "but remind your father he needs to be in Capricorn's church at eleven tonight for the wedding."

"OK! Thanks Cockerell, bye! Come on Froggy, lets go visit big brother," she beamed, running out of Cockerell's house.

"Thats Sophia, Granziano's daughter," Cockerell explained, "now lets-"

"Oy, Capricorn wants to see you, without the girl, said it's important," grunted Flatnose, "somethin' 'bout that Rangaslono guy not cooperating."

"Alright," Cockerell replied, taking Kat's arm he dragged her out with him, "stay with Joy," he grunted.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been hours since Cockerell left, nightfall had long since past, Basta and Joy had gone to bed while the village still buzzed with life of the night guards. Kat was walking through the spot light lit square to get towards the kitchen, she was starving.

"SHHH!"

"Huh?"

"SHH!"

Kat turned around to see Dustfinger with Joy in his arms, "this way," he hissed to her, "I'm going to get you all out of here."

_Thank God! _Kat thought to herself as she followed Dustfinger to a dark blue car, Mo, Meggie, and Eleanor were already inside, she opened the back door as Dustfinger slid Joy into the back. Kat also noticed the arab boy that Mo had read out of that book was with them; the poor thing still looked terrified, _I know the feeling._

"Here," Dustfinger exclaimed, handing Kat her car keys, "its right next to Eleanor's."

"Thanks," Kat replied, taking the keys.

"Drive," Dustfinger exclaimed, "just drive, no matter what drive."

Kat nodded, she rushed off to her car and waited for Eleanor to quickly pull out nearly five minutes later. She started her car and followed the car out, right now she didn't have much of a choice but to follow. She looked down in the passenger seat to find her pink cell phone, she grabbed it and flipped open the lid when they were nearly an hour away from the village. The screen flashed: 15 Missed Calls. Five were from her boyfriend, Billy, the other ten from her mother. She put the cell phone down again, more focused on the road, "oh shit!" She shouted at seeing headlights in her rear view mirror.

_What was the number that Dustfinger gave me to call incase of trouble? Crap, crap, crap, _she thought to herself, she recalled the number, grabbed her phone and dialed.

"Eleanor? It's me, Kat," Kat exclaimed into the phone, "they know we're missing their about ten miles behind me."

"I am not going back to that confounded village, I won't, I won't, I won't!" Eleanor shouted, hitting the steering wheel.

"I'm not planning on it either," Kat replied, "Eleanor watch out-" she started when Eleanor's car skidded off the road. "I'm pulling over to help you all-"

"NO!" Mo's voice exclaimed through the phone a good minute later, "just drive!"

"But I can't just leave y-"

"Their not only after _us_, Kat," Mo exclaimed, "their after _you_ and _Joy_ too! She's Basta's wife there's no way he's going to give her up without a fight. You're to be Cockerell's wife, and from what I've read and seen, Basta, Flatnose, and Cockerell were called the Deadly Trio since they stick close together. Now just drive dont worry about us! I'll call you! GO!"

Kat nodded, though she felt guilty, extremely guilty. She wasn't only leaving behind Mo, Meggie, Eleanor, the Arab Boy - Farid - but Joy also. She felt like she was betraying her, _I'll call them and see where they are, I'll make it up to them somehow._ She drove faster at seeing the headlights getting closer, taking a breath in she turned off her lights knowing how dangerous it was. Right now she didn't have a choice, after half an hour of the delivery lights being gone she turned her lights back on and realized how close she had been to falling into a ravine.

Kat drove, and drove, and drove and drove; she yawned hours later, the sun had risen it was noon, she blinked, she was in her home village! She had driven straight through; to get to the village the first time she had only driven three to five hours for three days because she had other places to photograph as well.

"Katherine!"

"MOM!" Kat yelled, parking her car and putting the emergency break on she shut off the car, put her keys and her phone in her pocket and ran over to her mother.

"Oh Kat! Where were you?!" Illene asked, hugging her daughter close, "a detective's here because I asked- what are you wearing?!"

"Mom, mom," Kat panted, "there's other people who need help! Mo Folchart and his daughter Meggie Folchart, a woman named Elinor - Eleanor I don't know the spelling of her name, Farid, and Dustfinger."

"Honey...What are you talking about?" Illene asked, hugging her daughter close, worry shined her eyes, "look at you, you look so tired."

"I drove straight through, please mom...They need help."

"What's going on, Illene-" A tall man stopped in front of the two, "she came back."

"Kat, this is Detective Inglestone; Detective Inglestone, my daughter, Katherine- Kat."

Kat looked at the police detective, after a few minutes of getting herself calmed down enough, she told her entire story to him. He didn't believe her at first, until she noted both her clothes, and grabbed her cell phone, going through the picture gallery of photos her phone took she found a picture of Basta who was sneering down at the camera, a gun in his hand.

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Cockerell was angrier than he had been in a long, long time. How did they wind up with an incompetent, supersticious, egotistic, imbecile as their leader?! He had arrived back at the village only six hours ago to find his fiancee gone, long with her car. Mortola had come up to him looking angry demanding to know if he had seen Basta and Flatnose, when he said no he was told to gather men and do a search for the two missing black jackets. He had six men in one car, and four men in a second car, they had been half way down the road when their two dogs ran out and barked at them.

Cockerell grabbed the dogs, they were missing their leashes.

"Oy, looks like Basta's failed again," grunted Graziano as he crossed his arms, his dark brown eyes darkened with disgust.

Cockerell sneered, "it's high time Capricorn found a new second in command. One that has a good hiding place for car keys...Which is _not_ under one's pillow."

"You'd make a good leader," Graziano noted, his gravelly voice sounded approving. He stroked his scruffy beard; his face was a squared face; he had dark brown eyes, long raven black hair; he wore the same attire as other black jackets, only instead of only carrying a pistol or rifle he carried a thick belt filled with two pistols, extra bullets, and daggers and knives of all kind. He was three inches taller than Basta, and much stronger, a force to be reckoned with.

"What are you talkin' about? You'd be Capricorn's first choice," Cockerell exclaimed as he handed walkie-talkies out, "everyone knows who we're looking for. If you find Basta before we do...Soften him up a bit and harass him with anything '_unlucky_' you can find!"

The black jackets laughed and walked off.

"I highly doubt that," Graziano replied, "I'm more of a...What we call in this world, hit man, than I am a leader. Tell me, you must have another reason for being so angered with Basta, I can see it by the way you are acting."

Cockerell grunted as he walked with Graziano, though they were from two different worlds the two men had an...Odd friendship. They were _not_ lovers, or anything along that lines, just friends. Perhaps it was the fact the two had lost their entire families when they were both young that formed their friendship; or perhaps it was the fact they liked working for Capricorn; or maybe even because they got to terrify people on regular basis.

"I finally found a woman," he exclaimed.

Graziano whistled.

Cockerell grunted, "a fine woman at that," he replied, "a raven haired beauty whose smarter and prettier than all the maids combined - including Resa. On top of this she takes pictures for a living, I have seen her photographs, it is as if you could step into them. Having her along on burns to take pictures for me...I could relive those moments anytime I wanted too so easily. So very, very, easily. Then Basta, that idiot, decides not to hide the keys - maybe with Silvertounge's it was an accident - but not with Kat's - Hell it was no accident. He takes pride in the fact that he's married to a red-headed beauty, though her hair resembles straw now if you ask me. He figures noone can have a woman as pretty as she is, or even prettier at that!"

"Ah the fight over women," Exclaimed Graziano with a sigh, "a battle that we ponder why we waste our time on - my woman is lovelier than yours, and so on. Yet, when it comes to it, we males are very territorial of our women. We think of them as the most beautiful creatures to walk this planet of ours; yet when another man walks in with a woman he feels is prettier than another's woman...Well a man has to stand up for his lady of course."

"If that's not bad enough he made moves on Kat," Cockerell sneered. "Kat doesn't know him, plus she was scared, which was good it kept her in line, unlike Joy who forgets where the line is from time to time."

"I would not worry so," Graziano replied as they neared an old hovel, "Joy seems to keep her husband prowling only around the maids; though since they know he is married they all tell Joy when he is harassing them. It is quite a sight to watch Joy walk past in a huff and Basta following behind her begging for forgiveness so he can share the same bed with her at night. She has more power over him than he likes to think."

"Joy's gone too, did I mention that?" Cockerell smirked.

"No, you didnt," Graziano replied, "we should watch our step when we find Basta then...He will most likely be more angry about his wife being taken than Silvertounge dissapearing."

"MMPPHHMMHHHH!"   
"I think we found them," Cockerell replied as she stepped into the hovel, Flatnose was kicking rats off his feet who were busy chewing at the rubber soles of his shoes. Basta was red in the face, eyes bulging, he kicked out at Cockerell in anger.

"It's not me who sleeps with car keys under their pillow," Cockerell sneered, "letting yourselves get tied up with your own rope - what idiots you are!"

Graziano untied Flatnose, letting the giant take the gag off himself.

Cockerell, however, worked slower, when he finally finished cutting the ropes he sneered at Basta.

"Don't look at me like that, Cockerell," Basta sneered, "that fire eater took my wife! _**MY WIFE!**_ NOT HIS MINE!"

"You have to find Silvertounge first," sneered Cockerell, before getting the walkie talkie and telling the other black jackets the search was over, Basta and Flatnose had been found.

"My wife-"

"Capricorn has doubts you can actually carry on your position, if you're not careful you might become a regular black jacket while someone else becomes Capricorn's second in command," Cockerell sneered.

"Enough," Graziano snapped, I'm going to the village and taking four of the men - inlcuding these two - back with me. Why don't you take the other two and go burn that older woman's prized book collection?"

Cockerell smiled, "burning books, smells like paradise to me."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Two days later Kat had learned that Mo, Meggie,Eleanor, and Joy were safe; she had also learned Mo, Joy and Meggie were staying in her neighbor's apartment he rented out to summer guests. A thick blanket of light grey storm clouds covered the sky, threatning to unleash mother nature's tears at any moment. Kat grabbed her camera and stood on a hill that faced downwards towards the ocean, she snapped a few photographs knowing they'd be good.

She walked on then paused at hearing foot steps behind her, she grabbed her cell phone in her pocket and turned around, noone, nothing. _Okay girlie, you need to stop being so paranoid, they're not going to find you again. Chill out._

Why did she have a feeling she was wrong, so horribly, horribly wrong? She rounded the corner and got ready to knock on the door of the rental apartment when she found the door wide open. Inside she heard voices, two very familiar male voices. Basta and Flatnose. Before she could call Detective Inglestone Basta was walking out of the bedroom, "don't kill that cat, don't you know it's unlucky?!" He snapped.

Kat dialed Detective Inglestone and kept the phone upside down in the pocket so the microphone was near the open. He needed to hear what was going on, she wouldn't run this time, not this time; not when she had a chance to help Joy, Meggie, and Mo like they had helped her.

"A man could be driven insane by your supersticious babble!" Sneered Flatnose before he froze.

Basta looked up and a cold, cold smile went across his lips, "well, well, who do we have here?"

Kat glanced to Meggie who stood with Pippo, the two looked terrified, she saw Joy step out and hug the two close and protectively to her.

Every instinct Kat had told her to book it and run for her life; no, not this time. Not this time.

"Decided that you miss Cockerell, eh?" Flatnose laughed, "funny 'cause he was in a real pout earlier how you left him at the altar!"

"Shut up!" Basta sneered, grabbing Kat by the arm, "get those two children, Joy come here. We're going to pay that one's grandfather a visit," he pointed at Pippo, "now lets go."

Kat hoped Detective Inglewood was listening, she really, really hoped he was.


	5. Back to the village & officer Graziano?

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inkheart or any of its characters, Cornelia Funke does. I own Joy, Kat, Illene, Detective Alexander Inglestone, and Graziano. I do not own the GodFather. The song is **_**"Smoke and Mirrors,"**_** by Skye Sweetnam.**

_**For someone so young and naive  
Hard to know what to believe  
Still I thought I tried for a while**___

Kat managed to twist her wrist free from Basta, she sent him a glare of dislike before walking up front along with Meggie and Pippo, Joy was trapped in Basta's arms. Kat had believed she'd never see Basta and Flatnose again, she wasn't even sure if she believed her own story at times during the last three days. Then, she knew she couldn't discount her memories as false, she knew they were true.

"Why don't you let Kat go, Basta?" Joy asked softly, "the village isn't the place for her, I don't think she'll tell anyone about it, will you...Kat?"

"No, I won't," Kat replied, _Like hell I won't! I've already informed a police detective..._

"I don't trust that little witch," grunted Flatnose, "the only reason yer even walkin is because yer do to be Cockerell's wife as soon as we return to the village. If you weren't," he scowled, "I'd twist that head of yours until it faced the wrong way around!"

Kat didn't glare at him, her heart pounded in fear she took a deep and shaky breath then continued walking. She could hear Pippo's soft sobs, his shoulders shook but his hands stayed clasping onto Meggie's arm. _Meggie's a lot braver than I am, I'm here shaking in my shoes and she's walking on with head held high. _

Boop...Beep...

"What was that?" Sneered Basta.

Kat acted calm as if nothing had happened, really her heart was in her throat, fear made her mouth feel as if it were occupied by beach sand. She made herself calm down enough to think rationally she'd come to far right now to give up without a fight and without giving the detective at least a little proof her story was true.

_**Turning round and giving up is not my style...**_

"What do you have in your pocket, little Miss Silvertounge?" Sneered Basta to Meggie as she turned her around so quickly she gave a small cry. Pippo yelped and dug his fingers more into Meggie's arm. "I said what do you have in your pocket?!" Basta asked, giving her a shake.

"Nothing!" Meggie replied, "absolutely nothing!"

Kat gently pried Pippo's fingers off of Meggie's sore arm and held him close to her as a mother would her son to protect him. She reached down and held down the power button of her phone, _sorry detective_, she thought to herself as phone gave a quick vibrate before turning off.

_**On my own on my own way...**_

"What do you have in your pocket that is making that noise?" Sneered Basta as he shoved Meggie over to Flatnose, who grunted when her back collided into his legs. The giant's hand cupped Meggie's shoulder and held her in place.

"I.." Kat started, "nothing," she replied.

"Open your pockets, you're no child, you I don't trust under any circumstances," sneered Basta, "I've seen you, you little sneak. You nearly got away from us the first time, not this time."

Kat glanced over to Joy who was busy prying Flatnose's hand off of Meggie and hugging the little girl close to her. _Joy does things on her own, and in her own way, she does them so bravely, yet she seems to stay so calm. Ineed to try that...I have too...It might be the only chance I have getting outta here alive...and helping to get Meggie and Pippo out of here alive, Joy too if only I could find some kind of distraction where Basta wouldn't notice her, if that's even possible-_

"Don't look to my wife to save you," Basta sneered, "your pockets, _now_."

Kat let go of Pippo and emptied out her jeans pockets, she froze when she didn't find her cell phone. In her hands lied an extra memory card in a plastic case, an extra camera battery, a butterscotch hard candy, and a Listerine breath strip.

Basta sneered at her, then glared at Pippo, Kat's arm went around the little boy and held him close.

"He has nothing!" Kat exclaimed, "his pants and shirt have no pockets if you haven't noticed!"

"There's other places to hide-"

"If you touch one hair on this boy again," Kat exclaimed, fire in her eyes, "I'll steal your knife and use it to remove a valued bodily organ," she commented, glancing down at his groin.

"You're in no position to be threatning me," sneered Basta, shoving her so hard she stumbled. She shot her hand out and caught onto the door way of Fenoglio's house and picked herself up. Anger and fear both tore at her, she was glad that Fenoglio opened the door so suddenly or she would have lost her temper.

_**Bottled up is where my fears go, my fears go  
I will never show my fear...**_

Kat glanced to see Bast and Flatnose had pressed themselves against the sides of the house while Pippo and Meggie stood close together, Joy behind them.

"Where have you children been?" Questioned Fenoglio, "I was about to come out looking for you; Joy you shouldn't be out in the rain, and...Miss..."

"Katherine Levingston-"

"Ah! Yes! Katherine Levingston! You're the woman who takes the photos for the Southern Italy's Making History Foundation's three month quarteraly magazine, it's wonderful to meet you. All of you come out of the rain." Fenoglio exclaimed, opening the door wider he stepped back.

"May we come in also?" Questioned Basta with a far from pleasant smile as he laid his hand on Meggie's shoulder, Pippo went past both Kat and Fenoglio and ran into the house.

_Why is it that kid reminds me of a weasel?_ Kat wondered to herself.

_**They'll tear me up until my tears show, my tears show  
Smoke and mirrors...**_

"Who are these people?" Fenoglio questioned, his turtle-like face was filled with alarm.

"You should know, you created them!" Meggie replied, her voice loud, Kat looked to see Basta's finger's digging into Meggie's shoulder; before Kat could reach to pry Basta's fingers off Meggie, Joy had taken Basta's hand and held it in her own.

"Created them?" Fenoglio questioned, he stared at Basta for a long moment, "Basta."

"That's my name old man," sneered Basta.

"OI! I can't stand this rain any longer, it's running into my ears!" Snapped Flatnose as he shoved Fenoglio out of the way and entered the house.

"You," sneered Basta to Kat, Kat's heart leapt as if his index finger were either a loaded pistol or knife pointed at her chest, "cause any more trouble and I don't care how much Cockerell likes you, I'll kill you!"

Kat glared at him but didn't reply, inside she was terrified; her eyes were starting to cloud over with tears, she shook her head, _NO! _She wouldn't let Basta see that, ever.

_**You must try hard, don't give in  
Keep it up and you win...**_

"Damn, her phone's battery was running low," sighed Detective Inglestone as he snapped his cell phone shut, "I recorded all that I could though."

"Oh God," Illene said softly, sitting down on her light brown couch she stared across the room where Alexander sat on the light brown chair near the fire place of her house. "Those men are here and they have Kat? I just got my daughter back, I can't - _I won't_ - lose her again! I won't!" Illene exclaimed getting up.

"Illene, sit down damn it!" Alexander snapped, it had only been five days since they had met, but when Kat came home Alexander had askedIllene out. "You have to try hard to keep your worry bottled in, I know how damned hard that is! Believe me I do! But going into hysterics won't help Kat any!"

"Where were they?" Illene asked, massaging her forehead she blinked back the stinging in her eyes that she knew would lead to tears at any moment.

"She said she was going out to visit Meggie, Mo, and Joy so she ran into those two men there," Alexander paused, "from how the conversation went it's certain they're on their way to Fenoglio's-"

"Let's go get Kat-" Illene started, standing up.

"NO! It's too dangerous those men might be - hell with might be, men like that are _always _armed - let me call for back up, I'm heading over there. You stay here, if I see you there at all I'll have you arrested."

"For what?" Illene asked, "worried about the safety of my daughter?"

"For...Interfering with police business," Alexander replied as he grabbed his cell phone from his belt he walked out dialing the police station's number.

_**Don't let them know they get to you  
Put on a brave face and you'll get through  
On your own, on your own way**___

Kat was shaky as she grabbed a clean glass from Fenoglio's cupboard, she put it under the sink and filled it full of water. She drank down the water slowly, she was terrified of going back to the village, of going back and becoming Mrs. Cockerell; most of all she was terrified for her safety as well as Meggie's, Joy's, and Fenoglio's safety. She put on a face, a mask really, one that didn't show fear but calm boredom.

"So you read the book you old fool!" Snapped Basta as he stood up so suddenly that Paula hid under the kitchen table; Kat jumped and nearly dropped her class, she caught it quickly though.

"Don't call him that!" Kat snapped, then realized she was never going to make back to either the village or her own home the way she was going.

"Stay out of this you wench!" Basta snapped at her, when Meggie opened her mouth to say something Basta turned and glared at her, "you too, you little toad!"

Kat ignored everything around her again, she bottled herself in her own world; she snapped out of it when Flatnose came down the stairs carrying five or six different color books, he put them down on the table. Basta looked at them, then slid them off the table with his knife.

"None of these are the book!" He snapped.

_All this Horse Manuer over a stupid book?! _Kat wondered to herself, _talk about really treasuring your books..._

_**Bottled up is where your fears go, your fears go  
You will never show your fear...**_

Illene stood near her front door, her hands clasped in a prayer, her eyes focused on the front door. In her pockets were both, her cell phone, and a cordless phone. _Please Kat, please be alright..._

-----------------------

"What do you mean you're not giving me back up?!" Alexander snapped as he thumped his hands on his chief's desk, "I _need_ that back up, I have a witness to identify these two, as well as evidence against them-"

Graziano turned around in his chair, how he loved his job as part time police chief to this small unsignificant village. A man had a earn a living when he wasn't given people to kill, or jobs to do by Capricorn. Noone had caught onto his little charade yet - well the authorites hadn't caught on yet - Capricorn and other..._clients_ knew exactly where to find him when he wasn't in Capricorn's village.

"As I said before," Graziano replied, he kept his voice stern, offical, and commanding, "it's not enough evidence. There were mentions on the recording to where they were going, a few threats made against the children; you have to threaten children sometimes to get them to behave. I have a thirteen year old daughter, if I didn't threaten to take her cell phone away or not allow her to see her friends for a week she would be a spoiled little primidana! It's not police business, and it's not enough evidence to convict the two men on that recording as criminals, now leave my office! Go out there and do your job, find some real crime or take a week off to find yourself a hobby. If you don't clean up your act by next week you can look for a new job."

Alexander gritted his teeth, "fine," he scowled, stalking out.

Graziano chuckled, he knew Alexander couldn't afford to lose his job. Alexander's father was once a highly reguarded medical doctor; now he was an old fool babbling from Alzheimers. Graziano kicked his feet up onto his desk, he was a huge man, he was the boss, he knew the other officers wouldn't dare say or do anything against him out of fear of either losing their jobs, or some important limbs. He had never actually hit an officer before, but he had slowly stood and made sure the photos behind him of men he had beaten to a pulp, 'in the name of the law' were seen clearly. Any officers challenging him would quickly take the hint and leave, it was rare he'd ever have a problem with them again.

He grabbed his black Motorola Razor from his pocket and dialed Cockerell's cell phone, that Graziano had given to the black jacket.

"Hello?" Cockerell asked.

"Basta and Flatnose have your fiancee," Graziano smiled, "I'm keeping my one snot nosed detective away, you should have her back by late afternoon. I gave Basta and Flatnose a map earlier that showed a three hour short cut back to the village. What took those two idiots so long to get here I don't know."

_**They'll tear you up until your tears show, your tears show  
Smoke and mirrors...**_

Kat had managed to find an excuse to use Fenoglio's bathroom, she curled her fingers around the sink's edge and squeezed. She bit her lip and fought back tears, back to that damned village, back to Cockerell, back to that albino man who would have scared the crap out of the GodFather. She looked up into the mirror, damn what the thought of that village, along with seeing two of it's men, did to her.

Her hair had fallen out of it's pony tail half way, wisps of raven black hair hung around her face, on her shoulders, and a few strands on her back. She was pale with fear, her wide green eyes showed exactly how terrified she really was. She'd heard that the eyes were the window into a person's soul, she was pretty much certain that was true; she glanced at her eyes again, definatley true. Her clothing was a little rumpled, though soaked, they were fine other wise.

"Are you planning on coming out," snapped Basta's voice suddenly from the other side of the closed bathroom door, "or I do have to knock down the door and get you?"

"I'm coming," Kat replied, flushing the toilet to make it sound like she was in there for the reason she excused herself for. She washed her hands quickly then paused as she grabbed a paper towel, she dried her hands then grabbed a pen. She scrawled on a paper towel: Det. Alexander, bring back up, will be at village. She knew the detective would come around here looking for her, hopefully at least, she shoved the paper towel so half of it stuck out of the cabinet then walked out of the bathroom, past Basta and over with Joy and Meggie.

_**This journey of ours never ends...**_

An hour later Kat held onto Meggie's hand while Joy had her arm around the little girl, both were trying to comfort Meggie; yet both, Kat knew, were trying to find comfort themselves. It seemed like the journey to and from Capricorn's village never ended.

_**We will always pretend...**_

Graizano stood up and grabbed his trench coat as he left the police station, his badge catching the sunlight and sparkling brightly. As far as he was concerned he was a good law-abiding police chief, until he reached Capricorn's village where his true colors would always be free to shine through.

_**Fighting not to let them win  
And they're falling into our illusion  
On our own on our own way**___

"Kat," Cockerell smiled two hours later as he hugged her close to him and forcefully, it wasn't an _I'm happy to see you and see you're safe! _Hug it was a _you're mine and you had no right to leave me and you won't leave me ever again, _hug.

Kat kept her head up and kept brave, though now she watched her tounge she fought not to let him win, not to let him scare her. She respected him, and that's all she'd let him think, within half an hour she was Mrs. Katherine Cockerell. She remembered what Joy had said though, _let him fall into the illusion he has you beat, that you wouldn't ever defy him again, let him think that. When it's time...It will be his own downfall..._

_**Bottled up is where out fears go, our fears go  
We will never show our fear  
They'll tear us up until our tears show, our tears show  
Smoke and mirrors  
Its about smoke and mirrors...**_

Alexander found Kat's note, he read it and looked to the off duty police officers who agreed something just wasn't right about their chief...He nodded to them, "let's go. We have all the evidence we need," he said, holding Kat's pink phone he had found it tucked into Fenoglio's flower pot between two heavy thick vines.


	6. Tales of Basta & Graziano the daddy

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inkheart or any of it's characters, Cornelia Funke does. I own Joy, Kat, Graziano, Rosalita, Katrina, Maura, Feliciano, and Carmelo.**

"What are you writing?" Kat questioned to the government man, Carmelo Colombano. He was a short man with light olive color skin, dark brown eyes, and slicked back black hair. He wore a dark grey suit with white pin stripes and black dress shoes; despite the 'fancy' clothing (Kat figured he was a 1920's gangster wanna-be), and the look of tough and determined the man was going for...He was really...Well...Pathetic.

"UH..Ah...Uh..ah...n-nothing! Nothing a-at all, m-miss," stammered Carmelo, his eyes were wide with fear.

"You don't have to be afraid of me," Kat replied, "would you like something to drink?" She questioned, she was helping Rosalita, the cook, Joy, and a few maids cook dinner for Capricorn and his black jackets.

"Th-that would be nice," Carmelo replied with a shaky smile, he went back to writing.

_Good gosh and I thought I was a wuss when it came to the fear department! _Kat said to herself, she opened the white fridge that held the village's drinks: beer, water, sodas, fruit juice, juice, and Mortola's own personal concoction: a lemonade-sherry. She grabbed a Coca-Cola and handed it to the man, while he popped it open she glanced down to see it was her and Cockerell's marriage license. _There is no way I can get that thing when he's sober! If I ever want a husband, well a __**real**__ husband, I'm gonna need to do some quick thinking here..._ Kat watched the man put the soda can down.

Kat went to the fridge and acted like she was getting a drink for herself, she grabbed a half drunken beer. Rosalita, an African-American-Itilian woman glanced at her, an eyebrow rising. Kat shook her head and mouthed, 'not for me, for him!' The cook nodded, shrugged, and went back to dicing celery.

"Joy 'and me dat tomato paste," Rosalita exclaimed; Kat wondered with the woman had moved from Lousiana, in America, to Italy. She figured she had her own reasons and didn't ask.

"What the heck is that?" Kat asked, pointing out the window.

"What?" everyone in the kitchen, but herself, asked. Kat quickly poured a good fourth of the beer into the soda can and swirled it around a little. _I hope beer and Coca-Cola won't make some kind of deadly toxin or something that will kill him._

"I d-d-d-d-d-" Stammered Carmelo.

"We don't see anything," commented a blonde haired maid, Kat glanced to her she didn't know the girls name but she was young, maybe fifteen, maybe.

"What did you see?" Joy questioned, "if it was Mr. Folchart..."

"Um..." Kat paused, "looked like a big rat or something..."

"Oh," Joy replied, though a small hint of recognition went through her eyes. Kat scolded herself, great, obviously something looked like a rat was something that Joy knew, and seemed to be hoping for. Just peachy-keen.

"Well, that's that," Carmelo sighed as he started packing up his brief case.

"No, no, I insist you finish drinking your drink," Kat replied, handing him the soda. The man looked to her, shrugged, and walked over to a window, he watched a few black jackets talking and doing some minor repairs on Capricorn's house as he drank his Coca-Cola.

"Th-this ta-tastes a b-b-bit different," Carmelo stammered, Joy had explained to Kat that Carmelo only stammered when he was terrified or worried, leading Kat to guess the man lived his life either being terrified or worried about one thing or another.

"It bounced around a little when I handed it to you," Kat shrugged, "maybe it lost a bit of its fizz?" She she started peeling an onion, then used a sink (that strangely worked) and let hot water heat the blade up. She diced the onion a moment later, the hot knife kept the onion from sending up its smell and making her cry.

"Did I ever...Tell you about the time..." Hiccuped Carmelo a few minutes later. are you drunk?" Joy asked, walking over to him she stopped when the man hiccuped looked at her and gave a large goofy smile.

"Hey there sexy," he slurred, "how 'bout goin' with me to my place, you look like a real wiiillld ccaaa-" he hiccuped, "ttt- let me take that offensive garment off you," he hiccuped as he reached for the buttons on Joy's jacket.

"I think not!" Joy replied, stepping back, Carmelo reached out for her again, she slapped him then jumped out of the way as he collapsed to the ground passed out.

_That man really cannot hold his liquor..._ Kat thought to herself, shaking her head.

"What's with him?" A growling cat like voice asked, Kat jumped and looked over to see Basta standing in the door way. She watched as the maids shrunk back, even Rosalita got as far away from him as she could. He ignored the maids and Rosalita and went over to Joy, he pulled her into a hug and kissed her hard and forcefully.

"He somehow got drunk," Joy replied when Basta had finished his kiss. Kat glanced over and froze, Joy had her arms around her husband, _what the hell? _Kat wondered, _she __loves__ him? Gotta be an act, it's gotta be an act... _

Basta looked to her, "What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything, why do you always blame me since I first got here?"

"Because since we brought you here you've been nothing but trouble," sneered Basta.

"Basta, she's been cooking with us," Joy replied, "and might I add she's an excellent cook at that," she smiled, she reached into the large pot on the stove with a large plastic spoon and took a small amount of the first batch of soup they had made an hour ago, they were now making their fifth batch. Joy blew on it to cool it down then let Basta sip it off, "Kat made the first batch all on her own, with instructions from Rosalita."

"Damn," Basta brothe, "that's good." He looked to Kat with a wary look, "give that to some of your husband and he'll be singing your praises for days."

Kat wanted to shout, _that egotistic limping pathetic excuse for a man is NOT my husband! _Instead she nodded, "thanks."

"C'mon," Basta exclaimed to Joy, "Silvertounge's kid won't eat anything, the old man is chowing down. You seem to have a way with that kid, if she isn't in good health, Capricorn will be very, very angry."

"Will you all be okay here without me?" Joy asked, Kat glanced to see Joy looking right at her. She knew that it sounded like she was asking if there would be enough cooks if one left; really she was asking Kat if she would be alright.

"We'll be fine," replied Rosalita, "that's if Kat will focus on choppin' those onions an' stop gawkin at your husband! Lourdy-Lou, Kat, you would think you have it bad for Joy's husband." She froze when she realized what she had said, she looked to Kat wide eyed.

Basta looked at Kat then gave a shudder in disgust, "whatever fantasies you have of me," he growled, "you push out of your head now."

Kat watched him pull Joy out in a hurry.

"Wow," exclaimed the blonde maid, "usually he'd be estatic if a woman had a crush on him."

"Dere is somethin' about you," Rosalita smiled, waving her spoon in Kat's direction, "you are de only woman beside that Elinor woman he don't like."

"I think I'm flattered," Kat smiled as she diced onions.

"Ya should be thankin' the good Lord above," commented Rosalita, "it is not very often Basta dislikes young an' pretty girls such as yerself now don'cha know. My suggestion would be though, since de man dislikes you so, never to be in a room with him alone. Married to another high up black jacket or not, when he sees a person he does not like he has a tendency to make them dissapear!"

"He's...Done that...Before?" Kat asked, paling.

"Oooooh! Many times, I tell you, many, many times," Rosalita exclaimed, pouring small bits of stew beef, onions, celery, and different vegetables into a pot along with the tomato-paste and a few cups of water. "Dere was once a young man named Feliciano who came to de village after runnin' away from his parents, don'cha know. He ran away simply 'cause he did not like his mother telling him he could not date a girl 'cause he was too young, he was...fourteen I think. He would constantly challenge Basta, 'my knife be shinier than yours is!' , 'I'm more loyal to Capricorn than you will ever be!' , 'I never miss a shot with my pistal!' Feliciano even went as far as too ask Capricorn for a set of keys and promise he'd do better than Basta even though he was only thirteen! One night Basta came up to Feliciano and said it was time to put this silly fight behind them."

The blonde maid tensed, "I remember seeing that, that was when I first came here I was only nine. My dad didn't want to pay Capricorn so Basta and Cockerell took me here. Since then Rosalita's been caring for me."

"Yes," Rosalita nodded, "Feliciano and Basta were standin' right out that window there!" Rosalita pointed outside, "Feliciano, bein' young, but more arrogant than ever, believed Basta, he did! 'Come to apologize to me, old man?' He asks, Basta replied saying, 'men do not apologize...They make truces. Walk with me now, and we shall make a truce! They walked into that stretch of woods over there, just at the beginning of de woods, the entire village heard Feliciano's scream we did! Basta came back smiling and wiping blood off his knife's blade onto a clean dish rag of mine!"

Kat put a hand up to her throat, "he slit his throat."

"Yes," Rosalita nodded, "oooh then there was time with another young lady much like yourself."

"There..Was?"

"Yes," Rosalita nodded, "her name was Maura, her daddy was a big-time contractor. To make sure he did what Capricorn told him on making a certain building in de village he kept his daughter here against her will. She was sixteen, very pretty, olive skin, red hair, green eyes, her daddy was itilian, her mama was Irish. Basta wanted to have his way with her, and noone ever tried ta stop him-"

"Why didn't Joy-" Kat started.

"She was not here," Rosalita replied, "yet. Joy arrived here about five or six years ago. This was about seven years ago. Maura would constantly duck from Basta and would not stop shrieking or screaming unless another black jacket walked her back to de 'cages.' One night Basta must have gone to have his way with her and she ran off into de night, he chased her, she was never seen again. If the name Maura is heard in this village though, each an' every time, Basta gets this smile over his face and slicks back his hair. Her mama and papa, from what I hear, have long since made her a gravestone, buried an empty coffin."

"She could still be alive, just hiding," Kat replied.

"Dat is what some hoped," replied Rosalita, "t'ree years ago a maid named Katrina went into de woods to gather certain herbs for me. She found Maura's skeleton, it was obvious that it was Maura's since that girl always wore a silver locket with a M on de front of it."

"Did you all give it back to the parents?" Kat asked.

"No," replied the blonde, "I know because I am Katrina." She shuddered.

"It was de last time I sent this poor girl into de woods again, I now send black jackets since they seem...More accustomed to seeing death so close," Rosalita replied with a nod.

_I can believe that_, Kat thought to herself with a shudder, "When did Joy arrive here?"

"Five or six years ago," replied Rosalita, "her papa is a famous geologist, Thomas Antoni, she thought he was dead, really he was taken by de black jackets. Joy's mama moved them into their new house a few miles from here, one night Basta, Flatnose, and Cockerell left to see what all de commotion was about down de road since there was a movin' van and a car and motorcycle seen. Too much life down this road," Rosalita exclaimed, shaking her head, she started getting out more vegetables for the last batch of soup. "They came back a few hours later, Basta was carryin' poor Joy in his arms, she was fast to sleep, against her own will. Flatnose was carryin' your husband, it seems someone knocked him out with a baseball bat!"

Katrina giggled, "since then he's always hated baseball bats!"

"That he has," smiled Rosalita, then frowned, "the poor girl was dressed in a long pajama shirt and short pajama shorts, in early summer those 'cages' are freezing! I had pity on the poor girl and made Basta bring him to my house and made him give me his extra set of clothes. Katrina and I changed her into Basta's clothes to keep her warm. Then de next day we learned that she was Mrs. Joy Basta, since then she has grown to be a good wife to Basta and a good friend to everyone. She will put her own neck at risk to help another, you yourself are proof of that."

"She's so brave," Kat said softly, "I wish I could be that brave..."

"You are, child!" Rosalita exclaimed, reaching across the square table she gave Kat's hand a light squeeze, "you handle these black jackets just as Joy does! You stay calm and do not cry or whine when Cockerell hugs or kisses you, and you have only been married to him a day!" Rosalita exclaimed, stepping over Carmelo.

An hour later everyone was eating, Carmelo was spending the night in an empty house he was too drunk to drive. Kat reached into her pocket and expected to find the marriage liscence she had hid in the dress pocket, she froze when she realized it was gone, she paled. She looked up and across the table Basta smirked at her and quickly held up the marriage liscence.

After dinner Cockerell wrapped his arm around Kat and led her outside, "you're stayin' with me until I'm good and ready to go to bed."

Kat nodded, "alright."

"Ever shot a cat before?" Cockerell questioned.

"No, and I have no desire to kill such an innocent creature either," replied Kat.

"Cats? Innocent!" Laughed Cockerell, "cats are not innocent, not even you, my little kitten, are innocent," he smiled looking into Kat's eyes, "Basta told me how you tried to steal our marriage liscence."

"I was ...uh..Going to frame it?"

"I think not," Cockerell frowned, he turned quickly and shot at a cat. Kat jumped and watched the cat run away unharmed.

"He's a horrible shot," laughed Flatnose as he passed Kat, "if he tried to shoot ya he'd miss even if you were standin' right in from of him!"

"Shut up or I'll shoot you!" Sneered Cockerell.

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"My men and I are going out to that village, Illene," Alexander exclaimed, holding Illene's hands in his own.

"You went out there already and your chief was there! He told you to leave!" Illene replied, her eyes shining in a mix of anger, worry, and sadness.

"My chief was there," replied Alexander, "because Murphy, that ass hole, tipped him off! Murphs been kicked off our little 'task force' here and there are no more snitches."

"How can you be so sure?"

"You just have to trust me," Alexander replied.

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Graziano walked through the lit square and snickered at seeing Kat standing beside Cockerell, Cockerell's arm was around Kat and holding her close. He knew Cockerell didn't love the wench, like Basta and the few other married black jackets, were very possessive of their wives. He had seen black jackets kill one another before just because one hit on the other's wife. He walked into his small home, "Sophia!" He called out to his daughter, his wife had died giving birth to her.

"Daddy!" Shouted Sophia as she ran into his arms and hugged him.

Graziano stood up and hugged her close, "hows my little girl? Have the maids been taking good care of you?"

"Yes," replied Sophia, "where did you go?"

"I had to go to work, like most daddys do," replied Graziano. Every black jacket was still floored by the fact such a sadistic, evil, and cruel man like Graziano could be a father, a loving one at that.

"But the other black jackets dont work," Sophia replied.

"They work, but they only work for Mr. Capricorn, I work for Mr. Capricorn and other people too, sweetie. Now have you had dinner?"

"A grilled cheese sandwich and french fries Mrs. Basta made for me," Sophia replied.

"Ah, does Joy - er - Mrs. Basta...Did she spend any time with you?"

"Yes, before Mr. Basta dragged her away again."

"Daddy will have to talk to Mr. Basta about that and about sharing his wife with you and his own son, Basta Jr.," Graziano replied, "now how about a bed time story, what story shall it be?"

"The Three Little Pigs!" Beamed Sophia.

"And in the Three Little Pigs, are you a pig or are you the wolf?"

"I'm the wolf, rooooarrrrrrrrrr!" Sophia replied.

"Yes, sweetie, you are the big, bad, wolf and one day you'll grow up to be the most beautiful girl in this village," Graziano replied, hugging her close, he grabbed the book from a shelf on the wall and sat down with Sophia in an old and battered brown chair and started reading to her.


	7. An unpleasant Morning

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inkheart or any of it's characters, Cornelia Funke does. I do not own the wicked witch of the west, she belongs to Frank L. Baum. Wile E. Coyote belongs to Looney Toons, and the three ghosts of christmas eve belong to Charles Dickens. I own Joy, Basta Jr, Katrina, Rosalita, Eliseo, Graziano Mallory, and Sophia Mallory.**

"Five more minutes," muttered Kat as she pulled the thin blanket over her head, "then I'll get up," she muttered turning over on her side. She was nearly asleep again when a splash of water splashed down on her. "OH SHIT!" She shouted, startled her heart pounding, she was soaked to the bone, as was the bed. She jumped out of the bed and glared at her husband who stood at the foot of the bed with a large mischievious smile on.

"When I say get up," Exclaimed Cockerell, "it means get up!"

Kat glanced outside and frowned, "it's not even light outside yet! We didn't get to bed until Midnight and didn't sleep until two Am! You expect me to be all morning person happy and jump out of bed!"

"Morning person, yes," Cockerell nodded, "I do not care if you're happy or not. You have to help Joy and the maids cook breakfast, which usually takes two hours."

"And you're going too..."

"Go back to sleep," shrugged Cockerell as he climbed back into the dry part of the bed, covered himself up and watched her. Kat's face grew red, she could feel herself tensing, not with fear but with anger.

"You as-"

"Mind that you are my wife, therefore my property," warned Cockerell, balling his hand into a fist; Kat fell silent, glared at him and grabbed her suit-dress. She changed in the bathroom, but didn't bother closing the door all the way, Cockerell had seen her in her birthday suit that night, against her will. She raised an eyebrow when she saw the medicine cabinet, she glanced into the bedroom to hear Cockerell snoring, _that is so wrong on so many different levels,_ Kat said to herself. Smirking she figured, _don't get mad...Get even! _

She opened the medicine chest to find all sorts of goodies, then paused, Cockerell used conditioner; it also seemed his hair wasn't his true color. She found different hair colors in the chest, she mixed the blonde and brown together and laughed at seeing the purple-like color she got. She then dumped it into the conditioner and left the conditioner where she had found it. She took the evidence with her, and left it on Flatnose's door step.

She walked into the kitchen to see Rosalita, Joy, Katrina, and three other maids busy at work over the stoves, leaving one empty stove.

"Um...Good Morning?" Kat asked softly, not sure what mood the cook and her assistant cooks were in.

"When I was in New Orleans there was never so much cooking!" Snapped Rosalita as she wiped her hands on her white apron that was over her dark blue dress with light blue patterns of flowers on it.

"Morning, Kat," sighed Joy as she grabbed another carton of eggs from the metal refridgerator to the left of the white refridgerator. "Mornings here aren't very cheery as you can see," she replied tiredly, "Cockerell should have warned you."

"Did Basta warn you, child?" Rosalita asked, slapping down a frying pan onto her stove and putting five sausage patties into it.

"No," Joy replied softly, "he didn't..."

Kat walked over to her fridge, "What do we cook for breakfast?"

"Anything," replied Katrina, "anything you can get your hands on you cook. Trust me, the Black Jackets could care less what the food is as long as it's good." Katrina paused, "can you make pancakes?"

"Yea, their some of the best breakfast food I make," Kat replied with a smile.

"Please then! Cook de pancakes!" Rosalita exclaimed, "de black jackets all I hear from them, pancake this, pancake that! They do not like my pan cakes, and my Katrina does not know how to make Pancakes. Joy makes good pancakes but her husband does not like them so he forbids her, last time she went against his order he hit de poor woman!"

Kat shook her head and jumped when something wrapped around her leg, "BOO!" Shouted the voice of a little child. Kat looked down to see a little boy around three or four maybe beaming up at her, he had his mother's dark brown eyes, his father's dark brown hair, and his father's face, but he had his mother's nose. She didn't need to be a rocket scientist to know who he was, Basta Jr.

"Hi," Kat greeted, "you must be Basta Jr."

"Yep! I big boy! Daddy gonna teach me how to use knife again today!"

"Oh, he is, _is he_?" Joy questioned from where she was letting three omelets cook, and putting strips of bacon into two frying pans.

"YEP!"

Joy glanced to Kat and shook her head silently, she mouthed to Kat, 'I'm not about to let my husband teach _my_ child to use a knife!'

"Why did you bring him to de kitchen again?" Rosalita asked as she stumbled around Basta Jr. and placed four meals on round white plates onto a large rack. Kat blinked amazed to see the rack was bright reed.

"It's a cooking rack," replied Joy, "a local inventor created it, the black jackets took it before he could get a patent on it or show it off."

"It's impressive," Kat replied, starting to make the pancakes when she felt a tug on her skirt. She looked down, "hi."

Basta junior reached up to hand her a roach.

Kat lunged back a little, "um...roaches don't go in food, Basta Jr. but thank you anyway."

"Oh does he have a bug again?" Joy frowned, Kat could see how she was recoiling.

"Yea, a Roach," Kat replied, "disgusting."

"For de love of Saint Peter!" Snapped Rosalita, she walked over to Basta Jr., "Basta Junior, t'row de roach out de window!"

"Awww...Why?" Asked the little boy with a frown.

"Because roaches are dirty," replied Rosalita, "very, very dirty. Gross. You do not want to scare your mommy do you? You know your mommy does not like bugs, and if you chase her around with a bug, you will be more and more like your daddy."

"I don't wanna be mean like daddy," Basta Jr. replied shaking his head.

"Then throw de bug out de window."

"Okay," replied Basta Jr. he walked over to the window and jumped up, then threw the roach out the window on his third jump.

"Thank you sweetie," Joy smiled, Basta Jr. laughed, then ran over to his mother and hugged her tightly.

Kat smiled and went back to her cooking, for a split second, just a split second she found herself thinking, _I wish I could have one..._Then quickly realized what she thought and remembered last night, her eyes went wide. She could be pregnant and not even know it, she paled. Her hand went over her stomach and for a second she felt sick, what if she did have a baby in her?

"De pancakes are burning! Turn them over, child! What are you doin' thinkin' your belly will do the cooking?" Rosalita called out to Kat. Kat jumped and quickly turned over the pancakes.

"Rosalita," Joy said softly, then picked up Basta Jr., "she's new and scared. Kat...Whats wrong?" Joy asked walking over to her.

"I was thinking when I saw Basta Junior...I found myself wishing I could have a kid, then..." she swallowed, "I remembered what happened last night and I could be..."

"Pregnant," replied Joy, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Kat nodded, feeling sick.

"It usually takes a few times, are you near...your...Cycle?"

"I don't know," Kat replied, "it's um..." she glanced at Basta Jr who was busy playing with his mother's hair, "it's um..."

"Has a mind of its own?"

Kat nodded.

"It usually takes more than one time before...It happens," Joy replied softly, "if it...Did happen you won't know for a while."

"How long before I know?"

"Anywhere from two weeks to two months," Replied Joy, "with Basta junior it was two weeks until I knew, with the baby in me right now I didn't find out until last month. So I've been with child now for three months."

"Aren't you worried about, him hearing?" Kat asked looking at Basta Jr.

Joy laughed, "oh, if he does remember anything about it, he'll tell all of it to his father who will blush his head off!"

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Nearly three hours later, Kat put down two plates: one in front of Cockerell, the other in front of Flatnose. She then turned and went back for the last plate, "where does this one go?"

"The last plate, the one with the most food, always goes to Capricorn," replied Katrina, "whoever gets to it brings it to him."

"That means it's your job," Cockerell replied, biting into a pancake, "damn these are good! Who made these?!"

"Hey Cockerell what's with your hair?" Laughed a younger black jacket.

"Shut up or I'll shoot you between the eyes you little weasel!" Snapped Cockerell, his face glowing bright red. His hair was an electric shade of purple; Kat had to hold her breath and bite her lip to keep from laughing her head off. "Damn you, Flatnose."

"I you, it wasn't me!" Flatnose scowled.

"The supplies were on your doorstep you-" Cockerell started before Rosalita interrupted.  
"Your wife made de pancakes, and very well might I add," Rosalita replied, sitting down to eat her breakfast. They were in Capricorn's church at the tables, Kat was nervous, having to bring Capricorn's breakfast to him terrified her. The old man himself terrified her, even though he was so thin, and quite old, a good sturdy breeze could have probably knocked him over and killed him, he was still frightening though.

"I'll go with you," a small black jacket exclaimed, Kat looked over to see a ten year old boy. She blinked, a ten year old here, and _**armed**_? Capricorn was either crazy or suicidal, or perhaps, both.

"Ok, thanks, what's your name?"

"Eliseo," replied the boy, "his house is this way." Kat walked after the ten year old carrying the hot plate, a fork, a knife, and a few napkins. Anytime she tried to talk to Eliseo he'd either shrug or act as if he didn't hear her, obviously he didn't talk a lot. "In there," he replied after they had climbed to the level below the attic.

"Thank you," Kat replied, "go in with-"

"No, I'm going to go eat," replied Eliseo, then he whispered, "Mr. Capricorn doesn't like me much, so its best I stay away from his sight."

Kat nodded, waited until Eliseo was far enough down the stairs, then knocked on Capricorn's bedroom door. She knocked again and was about to ask if there was anyone home when the door clicked open, Mortola sneered at her.

"Have patience!" She huffed, walking out, she paused half way down the hallway and glared at Kat long and hard. Kat stiffened, she held the old woman's gaze, afraid if she didn't the old woman would suddenly take out a pistol or shoot her something. Kat wondered where Mortola was when women were auditioning for the Wicked Witch of the West. She would have fit the role perfectly. Mortola sneered at her one more time before walking off.

Kat entered Capricorn's room; the room was large, the walls were painted red, a high posted bed sat in middle of the room, a velvet red curtain surounded it, above the bed was a blood red canopy. _I wonder if the Ghosts of Christmas Eve have paid him a visit yet. Though I doubt he'd be one for poking his head out the window and telling a kid to go buy the biggest turkey he could find._ The room was lit dimly by a few candles on a table near the window, the curtains were closed. _I hope I'm not entering a funeral parlor. OK girlie, here we go, just keep a straight look on, give the scary-old-fart his food then truck your bum outta here!_ Kat walked over to the bed to find a breakfast tray over Capricorn's lap.

Kat placed the plate down carefully, followed by the silver wear. There was a cold glass of milk already in Capricorn's hand, he placed it down and turned his nearly colorless eyes on her. Kat froze for a split second, _if he grows fangs and hisses, I'm taking off like Wile. E. Coyote and I'm never coming back, I don't care if they shoot me! _

"Do you enjoy your new home?" Capricorn questioned as he cut into the pancakes with a butter knife, he took a smile bite and looked to her.

"Ah...Would you like syrup-"

"I dislike syrup, answer my question."

"It's...Very...Interesting," Kat replied honestly.

Capricorn continued to eat, when Kat tried to take her leave her looked over at her, "sit down," he ordered.

Kat sat down and trained her eyes on the floor, she did all she could not to look terrified or nervous.

"It will be useful having you around the village," commented Capricorn, "Cockerell works much better now. I also am willing to give you back your camera and it's supplies. However you will only have them on burnings, you will join your husband when he burns a house for me, you will take photographs for me, and print them for me. Your camera will then go back to Mortola, after this you will frame the photographs for me, my photographer."

Kat nodded.

"Also," Capricorn replied, "I have decided that you will be my second personal maid. Cockerell tells me you are very obedient, you serve quick and well, therefore Mortola will now be the village's main maid again. You are my personal maid you will be at my side every minute of the day, at night you will return to your husband. You will go whereever I go, you will do I say for you too." The entire time he ordered Kat around he spoke softly and Kat noticed it seemed as if he were just talking about a cloud in the sky, but yet the man was terrifying.

Kat nodded, "it is an honor."

"Set out my suit, I want to wear my yellow suit today," Capricorn ordered. Kat stood up and looked through the dim room for the closet. "To the left, near the far hand left corner."

Kat found the closet, slid it open and took out a banana colored suit she didn't show her disgust with the suit, she draped it over his chair.

"I want to wear my sold black tie, as well as the diamond tie-pin."

Kat got those as well and sat them on the seat of the chair.

"Good, go wait outside, I'll call for you when I am ready."

"Yes, Capricorn, sir," Kat replied, walking out his bedroom door she clicked it shut behind her and wrapped her arms around herself. She fought her hardest not to cry, having to be near that monster every second of the day was an utter nightmare. _Please have Cockerell burn something soon, please_ she found herself thinking.

"Cockerell's wife," grunted a new voice.

Kat jumped and looked up then froze with fear and intimidation; a man who was taller than her, but shorter than Flatnose, stood a few feet away from her. His arms were crossed, he wore a pair of black jeans, a tight black shirt, a black leather trench coat, and black combat boots. His hair was long and black as well, it was pulled and tied into a braid that laid on his back; his eyes were dark brown; his pockets seemed to be filled with weaponry from all the clinking and clankling when he moved. On his belt were two pistols, boxes on the belt probably held extra bullets; there were at least four to five different sized daggers that she could see.

"Graziano," replied the man, though he wasn't extremely tall he was extremely muscular, "I'm one of the black jackets here in the village, I like your cooking."

"T-Thank you," Kat stammered in fear.

"Your sexy as hell," he smirked, "Cockerell's one lucky man, what's Capricorn doing?"

"Dressing," Kat replied.

"Ah, made you his personal maid, huh?" Graziano asked, more sarcastically than ever.

Kat nodded stiffly, she wanted to run from this man in fear.

"You piss Capricorn off," he smirked, "I'll be your last sight in this life time, let me warn you of that." When Capricorn stepped out the old man nodded to Graziano.

"We will speak in my church," Capricorn exclaimed softly before starting to walk off he froze, "Kat you will walk three steps behind me at all times."

Kat nodded and walked behind Capricorn, she counted his foot steps, when he took the third step she walked forward slowly. She heard Graziano's cruel and sarcastic chuckling behind her as he followed her he whispered in her ear, "too bad Cockerell found you before I did. But he won't be around forever," Kat felt Graziano's finger run down the small of her back and jumped, blushing when he pinched her bum, "when he gets himself killed or dies at one of these burnings, I'll gladly take his place and be your husband."

Kat's heart pounded in fear, could this day get _any_ worse?

"Mark my words, little kitten," Graziano whispered in her ear again, she shuddered when she felt him kiss her cheek, "I get what I want, always. And I see something I like...Very...Very...Much...Trust me kitten, one day you'll be Mrs. Graziano Mallory."

_Oh great, his last name fits him all to well, it works a good warning; Mallory in Norman French meant "unfortunate." If something does happen to Cockerell I'll be Mrs. Unforunate, Cockerell I may not like you very much but you had best live a long, long, long time._ Kat thought to herself, her mouth as dry as cotton.


	8. Gunshots & Chp 12 of Bastas pride & Joy

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inkheart or any of it's characters, Cornelia Funke does. I own Joy, Isabella and Thomas Antoni, Basta Jr., Rosalita, Alexander, Graziano, and **_**Basta's Pride and Joy**_

**A/N: This chapter is the main "tie-in with **_**Basta's Pride and Joy**_**" Chapter. **

**You guys, also check out MusicRush's **_**Creating Basta**_** its really good. **

**And, I'm working on another story as well, **_**The Vampires' War**_** its partly a newsie fanfiction and kind of not, it's written by me and ChocolateCoveredJockey. If you like it check out her story, **_**Take Me or Leave Me**_**, its hysterical.**

**-------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Kat was exhausted by the time night fall came, for an old albino man Capricorn did a lot of things and went a lot of places. So far she had been with him to visit two of his 'business associates,' one was a powerful mobster who was terrified of Capricorn, the other was a bank president who gave Capricorn as much money as he wanted; the look of shock on his face when Capricorn had Basta, Cockerell, and Flatnose pour the two large bags of golden coins, rubies, and other gems into four safety deposit boxes was hysterical. It took Kat all her strength not to bust up laughing.

Now though she was tired and scared, poor, poor Meggie! She stared up at the two nets suspended from a pulley system bolted into the ceiling. One held the man Dustfinger, the other held another maid by the name of Resa. Mortola was enjoying herself by lowering and pulling up the nets to either frighten the two people in them, or to make them sick to their stomachs.

Joy stepped up a minute later, "Capricorn, please, let Meggie go to bed now. She's tired, she's had a long and hard day."

Kat winced when Basta got ready to slap Joy again.

"Basta!" Capricorn said softly, Basta looked over and lowered his hand, "do not slap her. She was giving me a suggestion, the child does need to sleep," his colorless eyes fixed on Meggie, "we can't have her being tired when she reads the Shadow out."

"I won't read the Shadow or anything else out for you! I'll bite my tounge so it swells up so much I can't talk!" Meggie shouted back at Capricorn, until Joy wrapped an arm around her and hugged her, then walked out with her.

"Kat, you may go home to your husband now," Capricorn said to her, "Mortola will care for me from here."

"Thank you, Capricorn, it...It was an honor...Helping...You," Kat said slowly and softly, praying nothing she said would be taken as an insult.

"She learns fast," Mortola exclaimed, "a lot faster than Joy ever did. Go on now, off with you."

Kat glanced to Capricorn, then turned and walked out slowly, Basta followed behind her, Kat found herself hoping Basta wouldn't skin her.

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Kat lurched up in her bed to see Cockerell, dressed only in his tank top, boxer shorts, and socks, at the front door of their house (which was only a few inches away from the square it was a miracle the spotlights didn't shine in on them), shooting at a shadow of a running man. Kat saw a flash of a green sweater and knew who that was, Mo.

"Cockerell," she asked tiredly, pretending to not have seen anything, "what happened?"

"Silvertounge," replied Cockerell, "I think I hit him." He was quickly dressing.

"Where...Where are you going?"

"To report this to Basta, incase his body is found Basta will be the one to bring it to Capricorn..." Cockerell paused looking annoyed, "as always. He'll probably take all the credit as well, if I missed then he'll gladly give me the credit." Kat watched her husband slip on his shoes, put his pistol in his belt, then walk out. Kat sighed, well, _no use trying to get back to sleep now._ She was too awake, she redressed, there wasn't much to do in the village, but maybe Joy was up. Kat walked towards Basta's house and peeked in to see it empty, frowning she looked around to see Joy in Capricorn's house with Resa, Resa was hugging Meggie close and smiling.

Kat met Joy's eyes when she glanced down, Joy looked shocked and motioned for Kat to walk along. Kat quickly walked along and looked for her husband, she knew she was bored out of her mind when she was looking for him.

"O-Oh, h-hello," stammered Darius, the reader.

"Hi, Darius," smiled Kat, "did you hear the shot as well?"

"I did," he nodded, "Silvertounge, erm, Mo was here looking for his daughter."

Kat nodded, "the poor little thing, noone, not even a child, deserves to be in this village."

"I wish I didn't read that bird out of that book one day," Darius sighed, "if it hadn't come out...I wouldn't be here."

"I wish Southern Italy's Making History Foundation had never sent me out here to take photos," replied Kat, "and I wouldn't be married or worried about being..."

"Being?" Darius asked.

"Pregnant," Kat replied in a soft voice.

"Oooh boy," Darius whistled, "if you...Do wind up being pregnant be warned," he said softly, "Capricorn will never hear of you or your child leaving. He has a tight reign on Joy and Basta Junior, he's hoping Basta Jr. will be one of his men one day when he gets to be around nine."

"_NINE_?" Kat asked, "isn't that awful young?!"

"Do you remember seeing Alfredo?"

"Yes," Kat replied, thinking about the sixteen year old.

"He came here when he was eleven; one our maids, Trista, came here when she was seven."

"Damn," whispered Kat, Darius nodded.

"But getting back to b-before, if you're pregnant and while your pregnant y-you'll be treated a lot like a queen. E-Especially in your last two or three months of pregnancy. Capricorn wants all his future men and maids in perfect h-health. So after five months you won't b-be allowed out of the village much, and anytime you want something diferent to eat your husband will have to g-get it for you. B-But, it comes with a p-price, in turn y-you and your child belong to Capricorn forever."

"Just for having a baby and for having your husband help you?" Kat asked, wide eyed.

"N-Not for your husband helping you, f-for having the baby. If you're capable of h-having babies, which not to many women in this v-village are for some r-reason, you belong to Capricorn f-forever then."

"I hate this," Kat muttered.

"Be glad you're his personal maid," Darius said softly, "because no harm will ever come to you."

"I doubt that," Kat replied, "Graziano wants Cockerell gone."

"Oh no," he exclaimed, "Graziano, from what I've heard, has a particular taste in women and when he finds one he wants, he doesn't let go of her, whether she's m-married or not."

"Great," Kat muttered.

"But he won't h-hurt you, he has a deep respect for women, he's just creepy."

"A pervert as well."

"Tha-"

"Talking about me?"

Kat turned to see Graziano she paled, _how long has he been standing there?_

As if reading her mind he smiled, "just walked up, gorgeous. Besides," he wrapped an arm around her and held her close, "if all works out well after the reading tommarrow night, you'll be _my_ wife and that husband of yours may be dead."

"Sh-She might be pregnant the baby needs it's r-real father!" Darius stammered in terror, when Graziano glared at him, Darius skittered off in absolute complete utter terror.

"Is that true, you might be carrying a kid?"

"Yes," Kat replied.

"Then I'll be it's father, it never has to know about Cockerell, ever," Graziano replied, "you deserve someone better than that limping toad. Go back to sleep, Kat, you're going to have a long and emotional day tommarrow trust me."

Kat waited until he was gone then quickly went to find her husband, even if it meant having to live with him for the rest of her life she would; there was no way in hell she wanted to marry Graziano and be his wife.

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_**(A/N: For all those who read Basta's Pride and Joy you'll recognize this, I'm trying to tie the two stories together a bit more before the last chapter. This and the next part is from Chapter 12.) **_

Seventeen year old Stephen Antoni parked on the hill above Capricorn's village, it was early in the morning, the sun was just starting to peak over the horizon causing shadows that made the village even eerier.

"You're Stephen?" Mo questioned, looking him up and down.

"I was twelve when they took my sister," the lanky teenager replied as he lifted the binoculars to his eyes. "how is she? Does she look better than she did three years ago?"

"I didn't know about then," Mo replied softly, "Dustfinger has said even though she is tired and stressed, she is still beautiful. Where's your mother?"

"In the hospital with a brain tumor," replied Stephen, almost bitterly, "I blame it on the black jackets."

"Those evil snakes are easy to blame, each one of them deserves to be shot without an honorable burial," Elinor exclaimed, as she looked down at the village. "Mo's daughter, my grand niece, Meggie is down there also."

"How old is she?" Stephen asked.

"Twelve," replied Mo.

"We need to come up with a plan if we want to get those two out of there," Stephen exclaimed, as he fingered the pendant around his neck. The pendant had been one of Joy's favorites, she wore it nearly every day; the pedant was a smooth and polished stone with an arrow carved into it standing for the constellation of Saggitarius - Joy's zodiac sign. "I'm comin' Joy," he said softly.

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_**I edited this part a little to fit in with this story.) **_

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The next morning came bright and early, Kat redressed and went to help Rosalita with breakfast. She paused as she saw Joy walking towards a maid that was leaving Capricorn's house. She saw the maid carrying some plates with half eaten breakfast foods on it, the 'guests' meals were always made first, Rosalita had said.

"Wait," Joy called to the maid.

"Yes?" The woman asked, turning, revealing a small blonde haired girl, "Mrs. Basta?"

"Did Meggie- I mean the little girl- eat her food?"

Kat blinked, wow, Joy really did care a lot about Meggie to going as far to make sure she ate her meal.

"Not much," replied the maid, showing Joy the tray.

"Thank you," replied Joy, she turned and made sure Basta wasn't around, then snuck towards the kitchen.

"Joy?" Kat asked, "is everything ok?"

"Hi Kat," Joy said softly, "I'm worried about Meggie, she's a good young lady, and she's scared, she's angry, she hasn't had any reassurance that her father's alright..." She sighed, shaking her head as the two walked into the kitchen together.

"What ye be doin' in here?" Rosalita asked as she stirred the menostroni soup she was making for lunch.

"Hi Rosalita, how is that soup coming? Can it be eaten yet?" Joy asked.

"Well, yes, but it won't taste as good - "

"That's ok, I just need a small bowl and a spoon," Joy replied.

"Is Basta starvin' ye, Joy?" Rosalita asked, her dark brown eyes staring into Joy's.

"No, no, it's Meggie, she didn't touch her oatmeal - "

"Oh, no," Rosalita exclaimed, backing away, "now Joy, I don' mind helpin' out, but nuh-uh, Capricorn says if the child don't eat breakfast she isn't given another breakfast, she holds out 'till lunch. I got into trouble last time i helped yeh."

"Rosalita," Kat exclaimed, "you said yourself you don't always listen to Capricorn, why listen now?"

"He threatened my Katrina!" Rosalita replied, "I have got to listen!"

"What if you turn your back and you say you thought Joy was getting something for herself?" Kat asked, going over towards a stove she helped Katrina and a few other maids cook for breakfast.

"Rosalita, I'm so sorry about that, I really am," Joy apologized, "but she needs to eat something. I think she's trying to starve herself; she doesn't understand that Capricorn will shove food down her throat and force her to swallow it. He won't care how much she struggles or fights,and Basta..." she paused, looking at Kat, "Basta wouldn't mind shoving things down that poor child's throat." She looked back at Rosalita, "Please, Rosalita, please, we can even use the excuse Kat made!" Joy begged.

"Alrigh', but I didn't know ye were in here, yer alone on this, Joy," Cooky replied, she turned around quickly as Joy grabbed a bowl and filled it with warm soup, she grabbed a napkin and spoon, then rushed out.

Kat looked over to Rosalita in concern, "Rosalita, are you going to be ok?"

"I'll be fine! It 'tis is Joy I am worried about! De woman is losing her marbles over that child!" Rosalita replied, "and you should not be here either! You are Capricorn's personal maid now, you git outta here," she exclaimed shooing Kat towards the door, "go on now, I will not be blamed for you not showin' up at Capricorn's on time, I won't!"

Kat rushed off towards Capricorn's house, she didn't know that Capricorn had meant she couldn't help cook breakfast.

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"Capricorn," exclaimed Cockerell as he walked in, he bowed deeply to him, "the geologist is prepared to tell you what mines you discovered are important. I gave him your description, two of the mines you have described are gold mines, another one is a diamond mine."

Kat looked over to her husband when he gave his announcement to Capricorn, geologist? Mines? What was Cockerell talking about? Who was this geologist, she hadn't seen any captive men but Fenoglio here.

"Good," replied Capricorn, smiling, "I'll no longer have to squeeze these folk around here so hard. I don't want more snoops like the two we had two years ago." He exclaimed, thinking about the Joneses' children.

"We've also received word that Isabella Antoni is in the hospital with a brain tumor, a sort of Cancer; according to the doctor who works for you the tumor is between the sinus and brain and can't be taken out. She'll die in less than a few months when the tumor gets larger."

_Isabella Anotni, that's Joy's mother! Oh gosh...Poor Joy!_ Kat thought to herself.

"She will not be able to speak to the Shadow to make sure my commands are met, then," Capricorn frowned slightly, "that is alright, Joy too shares her mother and father's gift. She is valuable to have around," he paused, "tell me, how is Joy."

"She is stressed and looks rather unhappy," replied Cockerell, with a smile on his face.

"The child needs to learn there is beauty in darkness," Capricorn replied, "she needs to learn how to hate," Capricorn looked to Kat, "as do you."

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"Mortimer, you want me to tell them that... you're _**dead**_?" Elinor asked staring at Mo in shock.

"Elinor, that's _if_ you get caught; you know this isn't blood, it's dried Posion Berry, but they won't know that. If you tell them I'm dead they figure they have nothing to worry about. Stephen and I can sneak in, get Meggie, Joy, and Basta Junior, we'll burn the village, and then we'll get out."

"Burn the village, Mortimer? They'll catch you before you even lay a hand on a gas can! They'll kill you! You have to be Meggie's father, and that's a long life ahead of you, you can't just hand it to those...those..forked tounged...devils!" Elinor exclaimed, she looked to Stephen, "and you! What are you going to do? Say 'surfs up dude!' and knock them down with a skate board?"

"I'm not like that, Elinor," Stephen replied, his voice rigid with anger, his long blonde hair was tied back in a pony tail, a small beard grew on his chin. "I may look like I am like that - but I'm not. You're scared and worried, we are too, but we have to try. We've got to stop these people from whatever their planning...on top of that when they're done with their plan they may not need Meggie and Joy, and they may kill them! I'm damned well not gonna sit here while _**that**_ happens. Besides, I have help lined up."

"You do?" Mo and Elinor asked at the same time.

"Yes, I do," replied Stephen, "three years ago two kids were here looking at the village; they're names are Indiana Jones and Casey Jones, sister and brother. I met them on my way here and they've offered to help; they know enough about this village by watching it for a few hours...they can help us." He paused, "don't forget, as soon as we get Meggie and Joy out they'll be helping us too, we have to count on that."

Elinor stared at Stephen for a long moment, "You...you two don't go off getting killed! I'm going to the authorities, right now!"

"Be careful, Elinor-"

"Well theres life outside of his hell hole," Alexander Inglestone exclaimed as he and his men walked up.

"That was quick help," Elinor said to Stephen.

"I don't know them."

"I'm here for my girlfriend's daughter, she was taken here against her will," Alexander replied, he looked through binoculars down at Capricorn's village with a frown.

"Well then, we have more help, the more help to get my sister back, as well as Meggie...and...uh..." Stephen stammered.

"Kat."

"We know her," Mo replied with a nod, "I'm so sorry she was taken again. Dustfinger said she was married off to Cockerell-"

"Married off?" Alexander growled, "we're getting her the hell out of here and I'm shooting the damned bastard that married her against her will."


	9. Very Short Chapter: Visions

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inkheart or any of it's characters, Cornelia Funke does. I own Joy, Isabella and Thomas Antoni, Basta Jr., Rosalita, Alexander, Graziano, and **_**Basta's Pride and Joy**_

It was that night when the familiar head-ache feeling started to pound its fist onto the back of Kat's skull, she knew what the feeling meant, _vision_. She flopped over in the bed, in the process elbowed Cockerell. 

"What in the hell?" He howled as he rubbed his side, "What is wrong with you, Kat?" 

Kat didn't answer the headche became a splitting headache, she grabbed the sides of her head as Cockerell's house slowly faded, she found herself standing two or three miles away from the village. Alex stood beside Mo and Eleanor, a handful of other people were there as well all planning something. A girl and boy that looked a bit like eachother, Alex, and some other guys, off duty cops maybe? Another jolting pain travelled up her skull, she cried out and grabbed her head again she could vaguely hear Cockerell's voice shouting at her, "What the hell, Kat what is wrong with you, KAT!" 

After a few more minutes her vision started to get smaller and smaller, Cockerell's house slowly came into her view again, she gasped and panted. 

"What the hell Kat?" Cockerell asked, his hands tightly gripping her shoulders. She could feel the pain of his hands on her shoulders, but gasped in a cold sweat. The pain the vision brought along with it was still slowly leaving her. 

After a few long deep breaths in and out Kat had managed to gather herself up again, the pain had fully subsided. She looked at her husband, "I'm half Native American, my father was a Medicine Man," Kat explained softly, "he used to have head splitting visions after he passed on they must have passed down to me. I used to have small visions and feelings, but nothing more, after he died, the head-splitting headaches and the vivid visions came." 

"A seer..." Cockerell exclaimed softly, drawing his breath in, "a real seer. The last time I've seen one of your kind was in our world." 

"Where are you going?" Kat asked as Cockerell stood and quickly dressed. 

"To tell Capricorn of this." He simply replied before walking out. 

**A/N: Short chapter, I know. But it's all Im awake enough to write! I'm on Spring Break and spending some time with my dad. Mush Rush, thank you I will look that up! and thank you to all reviewers, I'd list ya all and thank ya'll like I usually do but right now Im about to fall flat on my face. Night night.**


	10. Graziano's dead! and good acting

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inkheart or any of it's characters, Cornelia Funke does. I own Joy, Kat, Graziano, Rosalita, Katrina, Maura, Feliciano, and Carmelo.**

Kat knew that after the vision that there would be trouble; however, Capricorn hadn't had time to listen to Basta's claim about my vision. Instead he was focused on the fact that Graziano, the chief constable, also worked for Capricorn. Sort of. But the man had crossed Capricorn and Kat had watched as the man was burned to death within his house; Joy and Kat together had managed to talk Capricorn into letting Sophia survive as a maid, promising she would be of no trouble.

Kat walked towards the kitchen area to bring her 'husband' a sandwich for lunch, she wished she could lace it with rat poison. _I will NEVER pick up another camera as long as I live. Too much trouble. _She thought to herself as she watched Joy and another black jacket leading Meggie towards the kitchen to get something to eat; Kat was surprised that after Meggie's attempted escapes that they even let her out to get something to eat. Being Basta's wife must have given Joy privileges Kat and the maids didn't have.

"Katrina!" Kat heard Cockerell shout her name through the walkie talkie on her belt, which had been given to her 3 days ago when she had her vision. It was so any time she had a vision (and Cockerell was away) she could tell him what it was about (of course she wouldn't tell him what she really saw.)

Kat did have another vision the day before of the Silver Tongue man had been shot and Elinor had been caught and Dustfinger had escaped. She had seen the police the other day but they left when seeing that their boss was dead; Kat had a feeling that her mother and the man she was falling in love with were coming for her. Secretly she hoped they didn't, she didn't want them having the same fate as Elinor and Resa. She also had a feeling the Silver Tongue man was alive and was going to bring help to free Meggie and Joy; they would free her to, she just knew it, she just had to believe.

"I am coming with your sandwich, Cockerell," Kat exclaimed, "but I am human with only two legs and two feet."

When she finally got to her so called husband she gave him the sandwich before he stopped her, "I don't like yer attitude towards me," he growled, "I am yer husband, remember that. Oh yes," he gave a smile that could scare Basta, maybe, "Basta was in an accident and is in the crypt with the old fat woman and the maid. I am now Capricorn's head black jacket, isn't it wonderful that I finally get the position I deserve? That means that you are now in Joy's position, she will soon be put into Capricorn's house with the child."

My stomach clenched, poor Joy! Poor Meggie! Poor Elinor and Resa! Kat couldn't say she felt bad for Basta.

"You have many new privileges now, but ye won't get them until ye start treating me with respect," Cockerell growled.

"I am treating you with respect, Cockerell," Kat replied doing her best to give the best wide eyed and innocent look she could, "but constantly I fear of being taken from you against my will. How is a woman supposed to cope with that fear?"

Cockerell paused, "are ye playing with me?"

"Why would I play with you? They're coming to take me away!"

"Whose coming?" Cockerell asked reaching for his gun.

"The police lieutenant and...and my old boyfriend, they don't want me to be happy with you, I saw it in my last vision while I was making your sandwich," I said, "see?" Kat asked as she held up my palm which I had accidentally cut while making his sandwich; Rosalia had suggested that Kat use it to her advantage, which she was doing right now.

Cockerell let out a shaky breath, "they will not take ye from me," he replied as he hugged Kat close, "yer mine. Yer my woman! I'll kill them!"

"What if they get me?" Kat asked, glad that she was such a good actress as she pressed herself closer to him.

"They will not," Cockerell replied, "I'll keep ye safe, walk with me, stay with me as I patrol the village. As the Head Black Jacket I can go to bed when ye do, if they try to sneak in I'll shoot them between the eyes!"

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Fools. All of them. Graziano smirked, they had been stupid enough to think that they had killed him when it was actually one of their own they had murdered. He was no longer the head constable, or as Americans called it the chief of police, but that didn't matter to him any longer. The next thing on his agenda was to get rid of Capricorn...He paused when he saw Kat leaning into her husband with a look of fear across her beautiful face; no...First would be to kill Cockerell and take Kat as his, then get his daughter...Sophia needed a mother and he needed a wife, Katrina was all that he and his daughter could ever want.

She was beautiful, smart, and from the rumors a seer. Soon. Very soon she would belong to him.

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"How come daddy went away?" Sophia asked.

"He had too for his work, sweetie," Kat replied as she knelt down in front of the little girl and wiped spagetti sauce off her mouth, "but he asked me and Ms. Joy to watch over you and keep you safe."

"Will he be home for Christmas?" Sophia asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. Outside Kat heard Cockerell yawn loudly with boredom, he was bored, well tough.

"I don't know sweetie, he might," Kat replied, she hadn't told the little girl her father was dead yet; for some reason Kat kept feeling as though the man was alive somehow and watching her; maybe she was just being paranoid. But her feelings were usually never wrong and she had learned to trust them.

"How 'come they put Ms. Joy in that small room in Mr. Capricorn's house? She looked so sad when they did," Sophia said softly.

"Ms. Joy isn't feeling good and she doesn't want to get you, me, Mr. Basta, Mr. Cockerell or anyone else in the village sick," Kat replied.

"Oh, I miss daddy," Sophia frowned.

"I know you do sweetie, come here," Kat said softly when she finished cleaning off the little girl's mouth, she hugged Sophia close and rubbed her back. She knew exactly how the little girl felt, she missed her mother so, so much.

(A/N: Hey everyone, sorry it took me so long to update. I was out of ideas and an idea came out of the blue to me today so I decided to start the story up again. I'll be slow on updating this story and the Stargate Atlantis story I'm working on because of college. But, I'm working towards my Bachelors' in Education now, yay! So wish me luck!)


	11. Cockerell's good shot & The End

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Inkheart or any of its characters, I only own Joy, Basta Jr., Katherine (Kat), Graziano, Alexander and Illene.**_

Kat had her hands full, she had known that Joy had a busy job but she didn't know just how busy. She was constantly running around doing things for Cockerell (who still kept near); Capricorn was constantly ordering for her to write things for him or to lay out a clean suit for him; she stood over the maids when Mortola was busy to make sure they did as they were told; she helped Rosalia with breakfast, lunch, and dinner; she checked on Sophia often and spent a hurried few minutes assuring the little girl that her father would return one day; then at the end of the day when it was time for bed found herself having to make Capricorn's bed and seeing if he needed anything before he shut his eyes for sleep.

The only question that went through Kat's mind the next morning was how Joy did this every day without stop. She was certain the village could survive without Mortola (who seemed to be more of a main than a help) but without Joy (or her now) the village could fall apart easily. She carried Capricorn's breakfast on a tray carefully up the old stairs and winced when she heard one of the wooden steps crack again as she stepped on it. _Please don't fall through,_ she thought to herself as she carefully continued climbing up the stairs; Capricorn's Orange Juice threatened to spill more than twice onto his poached eggs, toast, and pancakes. For a skinny old fart he ate enough to feed an army!

Kat froze as the hairs on the back of her neck raised, someone was watching her and it wasn't the guard. She paused on the landing and looked down and out the window, nothing; then out of the corner of her eye she saw a shadow peel from the wall and start racing down the other stairwell. Her heart froze in terror, the shadow froze and in some light it looked up; Kat held her breath in horror to avoid screaming...The face belonged to Graziano...Her feeling had been right, he was alive! He smirked at her, pursed her lips and sent a kiss upwards to her, she quickly and carefully went to Capricorn's room.

"For the sake of the Ink World, Katrina! You're going to spill my breakfast!" Capricorn exclaimed, he was sitting up in bed propped against a pile of his pillows. His bright silver eyes that reminded Kat constantly of two silver coins stared at her in anger mixed with curiosity; Kat carefully set the tray down onto the bed and rested the wooden legs on either side of Capricorn's lap.

"Capricorn, sir, I'm sorry....But I must tell you Graziano is alive and he was in your house-"

"Do not tell me of such nonsense, the man is dead," Capricorn said as if he were just speaking of the weather. Kat reached into her jacket's pocket and put the salt and pepper and a napkin on the tray for Capricorn.

"Sir, I saw him-"

"Katrina, if you truly believe he is alive then you have been speaking too Basta more than you should have been," Capricorn exclaimed, "he believes that ghosts haunt this world. If you continue this nonsense I will have you put into the Crypt for the shadow along with him, the maid, and the old woman...Is that your wish?"

"No Capricorn, sir," Kat replied with a bow, "I'm sorry, please excuse me...My mind was turning minnows into whales."

"Fine, you are forgiven, set my suit out then leave," Capricorn commented as he took a sip of his Orange Juice.

"Yes, sir," Kat replied before setting out a red jacket, black button down shirt, and black slacks for Capricorn. She quickly left the room her heart racing, she had seen Graziano and he was alive. She knew that she couldn't tell Cockerell; when she reached the end of the stairs she knew that Capricorn had probably already told the guard outside his door what she had said.

_Since no one believes me I'll have to take care of it myself or find proof...But how..._There was only one way she knew of, something she had sworn to never touch again...Her camera. She licked her lips, she really didn't want to touch the object that had gotten her into so much trouble in the first place. She paused, what would Joy have done in her place? Kat knew the answer, she would have grabbed the camera and found proof then have Basta take care of the man before he could hurt anyone else. If Basta wouldn't do it then she would.

Kat knew what she had to do, she watched over the maids for an hour before slipping into the vault as the room next to the armory was called, and found her digital camera. She grabbed it and smiled when she saw it still had full battery, good; she pocketed it and went to check on Sophia.

"Daddy, you came back!" Kat heard Sophia's voice exclaim.

"Yes, Sophia, I have," Graziano's voice replied, "I couldn't ever leave my baby girl. Was Ms. Katrina nice to you?"

"Oh yes, very," Sophia replied, "but Mr. Cockerell is really mean and grumpy, he says I'm a bother and he can't wait until I'm older so I can be a maid."

"Mr. Cockerell won't be around this village much longer, sweetheart, so don't worry about what _he_ says; would you like Ms. Kat to be your new mommy?" Graziano's voice questioned. Kat felt her heart skip a beat in terror.

"Yes, she's nice and she says that I'm pretty like you do," Sophia replied.

"Soon she will be your new mother, sweetie," Graziano replied, "soon."

Kat ran up to the window and Graziano spun, obviously not expecting her, she snapped a picture. His face went from shock to rage, he ran out the door and Kat ran as fast as she could; her skirt kept wrapping around her legs as if trying to trip her to slow her down. She kicked off her high heels and ran faster in her bare feet, "Cockerell!" She shrieked.

"What?" Cockerell asked as he turned, his eyes widened and he pushed Kat to the ground before she heard the gunshot. She looked over her shoulder to see Graziano's body with a bullet hole between his eyes fall to the ground, dead. Finally dead. Kat cried in relief and horror, Cockerell squatted down beside her and instead of scolding at her or yelling at her he pulled her up to him and hugged her close, softly assuring her everything was going to be alright now.

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Three hours later Kat went down to give Elinor, Resa, and Basta their last meals, fear and sorrow caught in her throat for Elinor and Resa. When she pushed Basta's meal through the bars she froze; no longer did she see the man that had scared her for so long. Instead she saw a tired, scared, and heart broken man trapped in a wiry boy's body.

"Joy," Basta exclaimed to Kat, "tell me Capricorn plans to allow her to live."

"Why would it matter to you?" Kat asked.

Basta froze and remained silent for such a long time period Kat figured he wasn't going to answer, she turned and prepared to leave before he finally replied, "because I love her."

Kat turned and stared at Basta in surprise, "Did I hear...Hear you right?"

Basta stared at her, and Kat realized he had been crying.

"When I first got her as my wife I paraded her around, I still do," Basta replied, "did...Anyway. She hated me at first now she loves me...I can't think of being with anyone but her, don't you tell anyone I told you that," he growled like a primitive animal.

"I won't," Kat replied, "Capricorn plans to make Joy..."

"What?" Basta asked, Elinor and Resa were also watching Kat with worry.

"He wants more power and...He thinks the only way to it right now is to have a pretty wife by his side-"

"Please no, she's mine," Basta exclaimed.

Kat actually felt her heart rip in two, so Basta did have feelings, especially for Joy; she bit her lip feeling really sorry for Joy and actually for Basta too, "I'm sorry." She said softly before turning and walking out.

Night came and it went by in a blur, Kat remembered rushing around trying to get everything ready, she remembered the 'ceremony', Meggie and Joy reading. And a fire, a very large fire...Then the Shadow was destroyed and Capricorn fell down dead; then before her very eyes Kat watched her husband go from a living and breathing human being into a tiny little words that blew away like sand did in the wind. When the village was silent she saw Meggie reunited with her family and Joy with hers; Basta was nowhere to be seen, had he been turned into words too?

"Katherine!"

Kat froze, she couldn't believe it, someone was actually calling her by her own name instead of Katrina's name (the fifteen year old had gone missing.) She turned and froze, "MOM?!" She ran over and hugged her mom close.

"I'm here, sweetheart," Illene said softly as she hugged her daughter, happiness and relief flooded through her, her daughter was alive sand safe. Thank the Lord! Alexander watched and smiled as he put his hands into his pocket glad that strange man with the scars who called himself Dustfinger had found him and told him where to go.

"Where's that horrid man, Cockerell?" Illene frowned, she wanted to see that man arrested. Illene looked into her daughter's green eyes and saw relief.

"He's gone mom, he's gone," Kat replied, "and he's never coming back. He wants nothing more to do with me..I'm free."

"Yes, honey," Illene smiled, "you are. Ready to go home now?"

"Mom, just one thing?" Kat asked.

"What's that?" Illene asked.

"Could someone else be your magazine's photographer; I know a picture is worth a thousand words...But it's not worth giving up my life for."

Illene smiled, "no more photographing, what about painting?"

"MOM!" Kat groaned, though she smiled from ear to ear, glad to finally be back with her mother and going back to her own life. She glanced back at Joy and frowned at seeing the red head happy but looking sad; Joy caught her glance, smiled and waved good bye.

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_**1 Year Later...**_

"And do you, Billy Hartkins take Katherine Levingston as your lawfully wedded wife until death do you part?" Asked the priest as Kat stood on the altar next to her future husband. Who was not Cockerell, but her boyfriend of five years, Billy.

"I do," Billy replied.

"And do you, Katherine Levingston take Billy-"

"No she doesn't," rasped a new voice; fear like no other fear Kat had felt in an entire year returned to her. She turned and saw Cockerell standing just below the altar glaring at Billy in hate; but why could no one else see him? No, he wasn't a ghost, Kat didn't feel any emotions to the figure. She realized what it was then: her past was trying to hold her back.

The priest repeated the vow and Kat replied with an, "I do."

She never told Billy what had made her hesitate on saying I do that day; but she never forgot the terrifying experience of living in Capricorn's village. She hoped Joy was safe, though she had a feeling she hadn't seen the last of Basta the cat man.

The End.

Yasmine () - Thanks for all the reviews! I'm glad you like my stories so much, reading that review made my day.

Crystal- I'm glad you liked the story so much; thank you! I try to write as if I was the character, I'm glad to see that it's working and the story turned out well.

First Gurl Rider- Where's my pickle?! LOL

BookFlower- Thank you! I'm glad you liked it so much.

FictionalDiva- Thanks!

Music Rush- Glad you liked it so much.

Major Lynette- When are you going to update your story? I'm liking it a lot.

Krista- your characters in my other story the Knights of Old which I'm working on finishing next.


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